The Awakening
by stones
Summary: It took her years to build those walls up. It took him a week to tear them down. Itachi/Sakura, Sasuke/Sakura.
1. day one

**The Awakening**

By **stones**

Full summary: He was brought in. A killer, a murderer, a villain. She was assigned to heal him. A medic, a giver, a healer. She was determined to come out on top. To become something she wasn't. But the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

* * *

**Day One**

The first day she felt nothing.

It was the day he was brought in.

He kept his head down respectfully or maybe spitefully. It took four men to drag him in and supervise. She suspected that four men wouldn't be enough and now that she looks back, she realizes it wasn't. He was cooperating for reasons unknown to her, maybe even unknown to himself.

The fact that Konoha now had custody of this man was wrong. She felt it in her very gut. It was wrong. The thought kept crashing down upon her. She was unable to explain this sudden feeling. Her head pounded, her mouth went dry, her throat burned. It was not the village's battle to fight. It was not their right to step in. It was Sasuke's conflict. She had learned this many years ago when she took it upon herself to promise to aid Sasuke and he turned the other way. He wanted no help. It was his battle and he would fight until he came out victorious or dead.

It felt wrong to take that from him. Because in the end, Sasuke's whole life was devoted to avenging his clan and killing Uchiha Itachi. In the act of taking that away from him, they took away his life- what kept him going. He was an avenger. And it was then that she realized he always would be.

She had never seen such surveillance and security before. But she supposed it was needed; he was a dangerous man after all. He looked at her as he was taken away. Emerald connected with crimson and a warm feeling invaded her senses. One by one until all five were clouded.

He was a dangerous man. But a lonely one too.

**

* * *

**

"Many casualties," she said, leaning lazily on her desk. Sakura sat in her seat uncomfortably, wishing she could snatch that bottle from the Hokage's desk. The clock ticked loudly, almost as loud at the pink haired girl's heart. She found herself suddenly interested in the hem of her dress. Stitch by stitch, she picked at her dress until a sizable hole appeared. "Many injuries."

She dared not look at the woman's eyes for fear that she would break down right then and there. That she would hold for later. Sakura nodded her head as if she understood. But she didn't and wouldn't until she stepped into the room for her assignment. All around- men and women, crying and screaming, begging for life- for mercy. She determined they made up three teams. But now as they appeared before her, they were reduced to children all crying for their mothers, for their gods. One even cried for him.

"Must have done a number on him," Shizune sighed. "Once he has you- in his screwed up little world- you're done for. Not many people can bounce back." Sakura watched the man cry as she slipped on her latex gloves and grasped heavily to the words coming from Shizune's mouth. "It becomes hard to establish reality from an illusion." Shizune grabbed a tub of ripped, tattered, and blood-stained clothing. "But in the end, what's the difference?"

"But why would he call for him?"

"Why do people call for their gods?" Shizune asked, smiling in an attempt to add some sparkle to a once glittery face. "Some believe their gods punish them. They give them hell and they are the only ones who can take it away."

"He believes he is still stuck in Uchiha's world?" Sakura asked. She didn't understand and probably wouldn't until later.

"Maybe he still is."

Nurses ran back and forth, trying to make due. Sakura walked across the room, white coat flapping lazily as she strode. It was difficult to determine where to start. It had seemed useless. Like crying over spilt milk. But this wasn't milk.

No, it was blood.

**

* * *

**

She sat in the waiting room, her coat tainted red. Her coffee tasted acidic. She refused to put any sugar in it. It was a bitter day; it deserved a bitter taste.

"It's the price we pay," Kakashi sighed beside her. She turned to acknowledge him but let her head drift back to its previous position. It hung heavily, a clear sign of stress and duty. "As ninja," he added. As ninja. She wasn't sure if she knew what that meant anymore.

"I suppose," she answered after a long pause, but her ex-sensei had long left. She hadn't even seen him leave. This time her good blonde-haired friend sat beside her. He tried not to look too concerned, knowing that it would only upset the fragile female. She smiled at him before glancing towards the clock. How long had she zoned out? He didn't know what she was talking about but he soaked in the words and nodded nevertheless. Her words came out slow and lazy. They were completely opposite to the norm- hyper, fiery, and loud. Her hair was long and seemed duller today. Even duller than the day Sasuke left.

"I have to get back to work," she whispered, putting the half empty styrofoam cup of coffee aside. Later the janitor would pour it out in the sink and watch it disappear from the stainless steel tub. He would crush the cup in his hand and toss it in the trash along with all the others. No one would spare another glance.

"I bet she would excuse you from this if you ask," he suggested. He knows this is all hitting her close to home. Ever since they had been little she'd fawned over the Uchiha, pouted when he insulted her, cried when he left, died when he refused to come back.

And even though it wasn't him in that cell, it might as well have been.

"It's my responsibility," she said standing up stiffly. She took a moment to stretch and a warm feeling crawled up her limbs, continuing to spread through her body until a long needed groan was admitted. She allowed herself this pleasure knowing that nothing but pain would follow for the next few days. "I cannot back down."

"If you could help me understand," he started but soon regretted it. Questioning her would lead him nowhere. She was a closet full of emotions, one where the key was hard to find. He understood this much: the man was an Uchiha. This alone made heads turn. Naruto cared for the younger just as much as her, but that was not him. The man in the cell was not him. If anything, this should be joyous. The man who had caused so much pain, so much hurt, was finally where he belonged.

"Sakura," he said before she had the chance to leave. She didn't turn around so he repeated her name until he saw her visibly stiffen. "I know you're really tense right now. This is a lot for you to take."

"For me to take," she said, half listening to the words coming from her friend's mouth. Slowly she turned to observe her friend.

"Not just for you," he corrected and stood. He reached out to her and gathered her hands in his. "For anyone." She smiled. "It's strange, almost surreal, that he's sitting in one of Konoha's cells. Him. It's frightening, but soon he'll be gone and-"

_He'll be gone._

He stopped when he saw her look away. She pulled her hands from him but offered a saddened smile in their place. She couldn't help but think of the younger Uchiha; his face haunted her dreams, his voice spoke to her in the dark. They always left. They were all the same.

"I need to go."

Naruto looked at the cup of coffee. He liked to think of it as half full.

**

* * *

**

"Where is he?" a deranged patient yelled. His screams rang in her ear. She calmly told him to lay back. He would have ripped her stitches with all that movement. His eyes darted back and forth. His fingers shook dangerously. She contemplated sedating him but couldn't bring herself to punish him for his pain.

"He is locked away," she whispered, bandaging a wound on his arm. She knew she wasn't allowed leak any sort information, but she would do anything to comfort her patients. Especially the dying ones. Some were stuck in their own minds, clenching from the pain and crying from the sting. They didn't even know how it had all ended. That was saying something. No, that was yelling something. The blood seeped into the cloth quickly. He seemed to relax the slightest although he looked around the room, delirious. She wanted to help him. Wanted to make him feel better. So she lied. "There is nothing to worry about."

"Red eyes," he whispered from his barely moving mouth. He coughed and Sakura wiped the red liquid from his mouth. She missed it the first time, but he said it again and she thought she understood. She felt they were in the same boat and she imagined them, sitting in the middle of the dark sea, waiting for someone to throw them rope.

A few hours passed and that man died. Sakura prayed. She hadn't believed in God, but now was just as good a time as any to start. She didn't know if it was right. In fact, it felt quite wrong. But as she folded her hands and closed her eyes, she prayed for him.

"Forgive him for all his sins."

She didn't pray for the woman who lost her leg. She didn't pray for the little children who would never see their parents again. She didn't pray for that dying man. She didn't pray for herself. Those would be a waste. Those things could not be changed. Instead she prayed for him.

"Uchiha Itachi."

She cleared her throat. She was not sure how to end this. So she unfolded her hands and played numbly with the ends of her pink hair. She guessed she was waiting for some kind of spirit to fill the room, her mind, her every fiber of being. Shizune ran in and immediately Sakura rose from her knees. There was no revelation, no spirit. There was nothing.

"Sakura," is the only thing the woman said. And there was a large pause. The two stared at each other. They were at a loss. "Sakura, I think it's time for you to go home."

Sakura didn't argue. She was exhausted, she was weak, and she was tired. She was _haunted_.

She brushed past Shizune and paused at the door for only a moment.

"Amen."

And she left.

**

* * *

**

The sun was almost rising. She had spent her whole night in the hospital, trying to save lives she knew were already damned. But such was the fortitude that the pink-haired medic so proudly owned. It was one trait she wished never to lose. She supposed she should feel grateful that she had been giving the ability to do such a thing and she guessed that maybe she was. With certain powers come certain responsibilities. It couldn't help the empty feeling in her gut, however.

"Forehead!"

She turned to see her friend run over, hand in the air so that the pink-haired medic would not miss her. Sakura smiled and lifted her hand- her pathetic excuse for a wave. Her friend neared with large huffs, a clear indication that she had been running.

"What are you doing up so early?" Ino asked, taking out her long hair out of the ponytail. It flowed over her shoulders and swayed in the light breeze. Sakura chose to stare at it. Fatigue was most definitely taking over.

"You mean, what am I doing up so late," Sakura snorted, taking the time to lean her exhausted figure on the closest wall. Ino followed her with swinging arms that provided a small stretched to smooth her tense muscles.

"Oh really? Well, I didn't go home last night either," the blond blurted, never missing the chance to step into the spotlight. Sakura watched as a sly grin formed on her friend's face. Under any other circumstances, Sakura would have smiled along. Instead, her eyelids closed shut and she swayed slightly. "But I'm bolting over to the flower shop before they open up. Forgot to water some plants. But you can't really blame me. Any girl would get swept up in the pure intimacy."

Sakura rolled her eyes. Ino was truly a romantic.

"Who's the lucky guy?" Sakura asked after finally finding the strength to smirk. She looked past Ino at a couple walking down the road, ditracting her enough from her friend's story. They were not staggering nor were they tripping, meaning they weren't night owls just coming back from the bar. No, instead they walked. Hand in hand. And it was peaceful and innocent. It was something that reminded her of the sky. Beautiful and big, soft and safe. She wished everything was.

"Not just a guy," Ino corrected, one finger in the air. She moved in front of Sakura to block the view of the couple who had just turned the corner. She huffed when she noticed her friend wasn't paying attention. "Hey. Look alive. He's not just a guy. He's a teammate."

Ino smiled because she knew Sakura understood. "Shikamaru."

"And I hope Temari cries when she finds out," Ino laughed, waving goodbye.

Secretly, Sakura did too. She didn't have a reason to cry, but now that Temari did, she hoped she could cry for her.

**

* * *

**

That night Sakura took a cold shower. She let it run through her hair, tickling down her neck in a way that gave her the chills. She welcomed it freely and her body raked. A soft whimper and she shut off the water. The mirrors weren't foggy but she wished they were. This way she had to look at her reflection, one that she had once took pride in. For reasons unknown to her, she saw someone she didn't know. The pads on the tips of her fingers gently touched the mirror's surface. From then on, she would shower in the dark.

Lives in exchange for one. She wondered if that made any sense. The toll was great for the arrest of Uchiha Itachi. And for what? So that he would die? Dieing for the sake of someone else dieing made no sense to her and she figured it probably never would. She wrapped herself in her blanket, almost forming a cocoon. She was shielding herself. But from what, she did not know.

That night she dreamt of nothing because in the end, she felt nothing.

-

-

* * *

A/N: Angst, cheesiness, bad spelling, inconsistent tenses. Lots of mistakes. I know and I will fix it. One day.

I hope.

3/28/09


	2. day two

**The Awakening**

By **stones**

* * *

**Day Two**

On the second day she was nervous and maybe a little scared.

She awoke only a few hours later, but it was already time to start another day. Unfortunately, she had not been blessed with any sort of psychic powers or abilities to see into the near future and was blissfully unaware of the surprising changes that would take of hold of her life and twist it in way she had never imagined before. No, she did not possess those, but what she did have was instinct and something in the back of her head itched. Terribly. She was still wrapped in her blankets, a thin sheet of sweat lining her forehead. The night proved to be very humid and now after looking out the window, she could tell that it had not ceased. After stretching her arms over her head, she prepared for the day. Anyone would have said that the sun was annoyingly bright as it invaded the eyes. But for her, it was anything but annoying. It was hope. It was faith.

Sometimes she pretended he was there, sitting on her bed. He would watch her as she shuffled through her clothing, asking her to come back to bed. She would pretend not to notice his glare on her back, but would not push away the smile and tingle that it would bring. It was the feeling of happiness, she would guess. His attention would be focused solely on her. This was something she had always wanted and she would beam at the thought. It would be early. They would be tired. She would be reluctant. He would be stubborn.

"Come back to bed," he would say, tugging on her elbow in a playful way although his voice would be anything but. It would be clear, low, demanding. She would turn and smile softly and he would stare back in his usual way. She would walk forward and brush his unruly hair from his forehead. He would wrap his arms around her.

"I can't," she would whisper into his hair as she would lean into him. He would snuggle closer and rub his face into her supple chest, biting mischievously at the soft skin. He would lower his hands to the very small of her back, daringly dipping lower to her rear every now and then. Then those innocent touches would become so much more. She would dip her head and kiss him. He would push her on the bed and even though she would try to reach out to him, he would restrain her arms above her head. She would giggle because this would be so like him.

And then they would make love. He would tell her that was wrong and she would ask him what they were doing if not making love. He would call it fucking and she would blush at the harsh word, but in the end would have it no other way because he would be who he was. Blunt and stubborn. She wouldn't want that to ever change. She would kiss, suck, and lick every part of him until there was nothing that wasn't explored. He would return the favor and enjoy her soft cries. He would watch her with a sense of masculine pride when she would close her eyes and get swept away in a feeling of pure ecstasy. He would thrust harder and harder until he was there, right next to her in heaven. He would kiss her forehead and whisper sweet words.

He _would_. But he _didn't _because he wasn't _there._

But after he would hold her. Hold her so very close that she could hear their hearts thumping and swear that they were beating as one. They would close the curtains and pretend as if there was no other world outside the window, outside the apartment, outside their castle. It was then that she realized that this certain castle was made on pillars of sand- tiny little grains of false dreams and foolish fantasies. Sand that washed with the crashing of the waves and in the distance she could see the passing storm. The storm that had already destroyed her—no their--kingdom.

"You will never understand," he said to her years ago. She stared long and hard at his dark hair, swirling eyes, and proud stance. The way his chest puffed with confidence and maybe a little arrogance. The way his veins bulged from his strong arms. The way his eyes bore into her own, but at the same time looked right through her.

"Then help me understand," she insisted whilst ignoring the tears streaming down her face.

He didn't say anything but she already knew what was passing through his mind- his beautiful and wondrous mind.

_You're annoying._

Yes, it was foolish to think of such things. But in the end, she was nothing more than a fool. Love struck and out of luck.

**

* * *

**

"I'm here," she said, but was greeted by nothing but silence and anticipation. It was nerve-racking, entering the Hokage's office without her in here even though they had grown so close over the years. She saw the woman as motherly figure but seconded guessed that. No, she was more of a sister. An older sister. Stern yet understanding.

She took the time to really study the office. It was something she had never done before. It was always in and out, in and out. There was no time to explore. As she neared her designated seat in front of the Hokage's desk, she glanced about at everything and anything she could: maps that were on the walls and some that lied lazily about on a nearby table, file cabinets with defying locks, windows with drawn shades. Everything about the room was ordinary, but at the same time unique.

It was then that her gaze was brought to the desk and upon it sat a crème folder. It was calling out to her. _Open me. Open me._ It was tempting her. _Read me. Read me._ It was coaxing her. _Just a peek._

She leaned forward but in the end, just stood up from her seat. It felt wrong to commit such a dishonest act in such a comfortable position. She was snooping, sneaking, and maybe it was a stretch, but she also called it backstabbing. Something that immoral did not deserve to be comfortable in the slightest bit. The folder was clean and crisp, which was a contrast to everything in the room—curled, twisted, humble. Opening it was the hardest part but at the same time, she did it with such ease. Inside was something that made her eyes widen. The words she read clearly with her eyes. His picture stared right back at her. It had been taken when he was an ANBU. It was dignified and meant to be respected.

She stared longer at the picture. He looked young and she tried to imagine him now. No doubt the long years had taken a toll on his handsome face and perhaps it had just made him even more attractive. His eyes were impassive, but she had to admit, they had a certain life to them. They were flaring and dangerous. He was dangerous.

A few words settled in her brain and they repeated over and over in her head. _ANBU. MASSACRE. MISSING-NIN. AKATSUKI._

Uchiha Itachi's file.

The words rang in her head and she suddenly realized just she was doing. With hurried movements, she stuffed all his papers back into the folder and placed it back on the desk with extreme softness and care, almost as if she was repenting for her actions. What she would have done to get her dirty paws back on that folder. What she would have done to stare at his face and imagine another's. What she would have done to hold that folder and imagine the connections—the bonds—tie themselves to her. She would have acted on foolish impulse if she had been anyone else. But she was Haruno Sakura and she was anything but unprofessional.

"I kept you waiting," a voice said right when she had retreated to her chair and took a seat once more. Sakura shifted, the roughness of the wooden chair rubbing into her irritatingly.

"It doesn't matter," Sakura answered back, saving her mentor from an unnecessary apology.

"Yesterday was tough," was what Tsunade had chosen to say. She plopped onto her chair with a loud and heavy sigh. The girl in front of her nodded, but said nothing more. She didn't ask how many were lost and how many were saved. How many would go home and how many would never feel the rain beat down on them again. She didn't ask because she simply didn't want to know. "We did all we could."

Inner Sakura chimed, "We didn't do enough."

"We did our best."

_When you try your best but you don't succeed._

"There's nothing more that anyone could ask of us."

Inner Sakura sighed. "The daughter who had lost her father. The father who had lost his son. The wife who had lost her husband. I bet they have something to ask. Why will my father never see me walk down the aisle? How will I go on when everything I have lived for has suddenly died? What will I tell my son when his father does not come home?"

Inner Sakura continued to blabber, but the room was left in silence.

It seemed like there was nothing else to say. All the words had been spoken. All the lies had been whispered. Sakura nodded once more as if it would make the words she hadn't spoken louder. She waited. Waited for Tsunade gave her the okay to go home and sleep. Sleep was the only thing she desired at the moment—sleep and the beautiful dreams that came along with it. She just wanted to be swept away. It was pure luxury to be in a state of pure happiness. She would dabble in it, trying to forget the morning that would come and snatch away those dreams, that perfect world.

"But I have one more thing to ask of you," her mentor's voice cut through the air. It was thick with caution and laced with anxiety. Sakura tensed. She did not like the sound nor the feel of what was about to come.

"And that is?"

"Your curiosity," Tsunade said swiftly. "It will not be satisfied. But I assure you, you will be closer than ever before."

"What does that mean?"

"Uchiha Itachi. Heal him."

_When you get what you want but not what you need._

She wished Tsunade would have let her sleep. At least in her dreams she wouldn't be scared. Unless of course it was a nightmare. But if that was the case, she figured she was already living in one.

_Stuck in reverse._

**

* * *

**

When she was a little girl, Haruna Sakura had recurring dreams. Some said that they were signs—red lights that flashed oh so brightly. It meant something was going to happen and the complex mind was trying to warn you. But Sakura doubted that. Her recurring dreams meant nothing to her. They would scare her, terrify her, and wake her only to realize she was in her bed, tears streaming down her young, tender face. But, they weren't descriptive and she couldn't even call them logical. In these recurring dreams, she was dying. Dying brought upon many images. Stabbing, blood, choking, suffocating, and burning. But her dreams weren't what one would call really dying. Not in the regular sense at least.

_And the tears come streaming down your face_

In these dreams, she was awake and lying in her bed. Suddenly, green would flow through the cracks in the ceiling, the bottom of her door, the hole in the wall. It would flow around her and suddenly she could see the green light in her. She imagined it was her life source because as it was sucked out, she was left weak and alone. She was dying. And just when it was all gone, she would bolt upright and realize it was just a dream. A bad, bad dream.

_When you lose something you can't replace_

She felt the same feeling that day he pushed her away. He might as well have just killed her there. Pushed his hand into her chest, grabbed her slowly dying hard, and crushed it in his rough, calloused hands. She was sad, yes, but she was also scared. He was different. Different in every sense but the same as he had always been. He had changed. He was cruel, unforgiving, and dare she say it, _evil._ But one thing would remain the same. Her foolish loyalty and ridiculous love.

_When you love someone but it goes to waste_

Never again did she think she would feel such fear, such uneasiness, for the rest of her days. She knew she had a long life ahead of her unless something tragic should happen. She knew there were many days, many hours, many minutes down the winding road ahead. But this feeling had been so strong, so powerful, that she doubted it could be duplicated once more.

And as always, she was wrong.

She was nearly shaking as she stood in front of the door. It seemed so big next to her—so…so _haunting. _Inside was fear. All around her was fear. Even the guards who had just searched her person and checked her belongings felt it. It radiated from the floor, the ceiling, the walls. And she was sure, that if she dug in it a little longer, she would also find pain. It was almost as if the grim reaper himself was standing on the other side. The devil from hell had made a special trip just to see her. The monster from under her bed had traveled through her childhood just to rendezvous. He was behind this door. And he was scary.

"Miss," she heard a deep voice say. She turned to see a man, leaning over only a few centimeters to show that he was talking to her. Shaking her fear from her, she nodded for him to continue. "There's nothing he can do to hurt you."

Inner Sakura snorted. "Bullshit."

_Could it be worse?_

**

* * *

**

She stood in the room and the door silently closed behind her. The click of the lock turning echoed in the room. A simple click. As if that could hold him back. She then forgot the many doors and rooms, bars and barriers that she had to pass just to make it into this one.

At first they just stared. Not necessarily at the other, maybe just the warmth of the other body in the room. A few minutes later she scanned him up and down and he did the same. She took in his hair, his eyes, his nose, his mouth, his chin. She noticed his size, his built, his body. She thought of his younger brother. And for a moment, she thought he suspected it. They had never met fully. She doubted he even knew who she was. Both brothers were notorious in Konoha. It was only instinct to think of the other as one sat before you. He watched as she opened her mouth then closed it. She was trying to find the words to say, but it was useless. No words in the human language could describe what she was feeling.

More minutes passed, she was the first to say something. "I hate you."

At first, these words hung in the air. They hung above their heads and swirled about, trashing into the walls and banging on the floor. Suddenly the room became tense. Very tense. He shifted and the chains dangled. She realized he was heavily chained against the wall, his hands restrained in a way that he could not perform any hand seals with two or one hand. His eyes were still red and she was reminded not to look at them before she entered.

But as usual, she didn't listen. Luckily for her, he did not take advantage of that.

She looked at him once more. He was badly injured from the battle. There was a deep gash in his abdomen and she could already tell that his arm was dislocated, nearly on the edge of falling off. Cuts adorned his bruised face. His breathing was shallow and came out rigid. For some reason, hers was coming out just the same. It was a miracle he survived the night.

"I'm here to heal you," she informed, opening her arms a little to reveal a small first aid kit and clipboard. He stared at her and she cursed all Uchihas for that damned look. In the end, to her that meant only two men. Thanks to the monster sitting before her. She waited for an acknowledgement. For movement. For an eyebrow twitch. For anything.

"Aa."

"We have a conversationalist," Inner Sakura laughed.

She didn't know whether she should approach him. Even restrained, he looked like the devil himself. She reminded herself of her mission and realized it would be stupid to stand around any longer. With extremely slow steps, she neared him. His stare never fell. The feeling of walking on eggshells invaded her and suddenly she felt as if she was walking into some sort of web. It was shoving back at her, telling her to stop. But she pushed with all her might and stood in front of him. "Let's begin."

A snort. "Let's."

She wanted to slap him. Wanted to shake him until his head rolled lifelessly. How dare he be cheeky with her? She didn't need to heal him. Hell, she didn't want to. Here she was, being the honorable medic. And there he was. Being a pompous asshole.

"You should be more grateful," she scolded. She looked away from his stare for the fear that she would lose her words in her mouth and her brain would turn to mush. "Konoha is being generous."

"Yes," he said and she thought that was it. One word answers were all she was expecting. But people always had a way of coming around and surprising you. Biting you in the butt just when you thought you had finally chained the wild beast. "I will thank them for their hospitality later."

She set down her first aid kit loudly on the table next to them. It thudded against the metal piercingly. She shook her head and lifted her clipboard into view. Sarcasm was the last thing she needed right now. "It's crazy." She looked over his blood type, height, and weight. "You look like shit and you should be dead."

"Lucky me."

Inner Sakura raged and decided to make an appearance. He observed as her mood changed drastically, jumping from stiff and fragile to lean and annoyed. Well, that made the two of them.

"You're an asshole."

"I hear that a lot."

"I wouldn't doubt it," she replied, setting the clipboard next to her medical kit. She looked him over once more, his gaze never leaving her face. She chose to ignore it. It would be best to avoid it.

No more words were shared for the next couple of hours. Her chakra flowed through him, invading every space of his body—every crevice of his being. It was almost as if she could see inside of him. It was almost as if she could observe his very core. It alarmed him and put him on edge. If it weren't for his most unfortunate predicament, he would have lashed out. She grimaced when she hovered her fingers above his bare arm. The sleeve was ripped off. His cloak laid on the table next to her supplies. She grasped his arm and could feel the bone deeply embedded in skin and muscle. She wanted to drawl it out—cause more pain than needed. Wanted. But couldn't. Quickly, she popped the bone back into place. She expected a scowl, maybe even a huff. But there was nothing. Nothing.

"You left quite a mess," she said, not taking her eyes from her work. She could tell he was confused about what she meant by the way his arm muscles clenched although she was sure he wouldn't ask her. Was he always this tense? But then she supposed she would be too, knowing her death was just around the corner and getting ready to knock on her door. She guessed that there probably wasn't exactly a welcome matt on his porch either. "In the hospital. And I'm the one who has to pick up the pieces."

Always left picking up the pieces.

"Then don't," he said simply and she took the time to slowly move her attention to him. She gave him an incredulous look and chose to ignore what he just said.

"You think you can go around killing people," she stated more than asked. He had a feeling that this conversation meant so much more than the people he had sent to the hospital—some to their grave—yesterday. He had a hunch that this dealt with something much more. Much, much more. "You can go and do whatever you want and then I'm here, trying to fix it. I always clean up after you."

"You spoil me," he said, knowing he was just adding fuel to the increasingly dangerous fire. She was now standing before him, hands on her hips in an almost cliché kind of way. "Like the mother cleaning up the child's mess."

"Time to grow up," Sakura said, taking this simile and twisting it to better benefit her argument. "You're not a little kid who can go around acting like a spoiled, know-it-all brat. Your actions have consequences." He couldn't quite put his finger on why the medic was becoming so upset. It was widely known that he had murdered his own clan. Yes, most were appalled. But this girl took it to heart. She took it so much deeper than anyone had ever before. Well, not counting his brother of course. It was almost as if it was her family he had killed. That's how she was treating it at least.

"This I know."

"And I'd kill myself if I were your mother," she added, not missing a beat. Her eyebrows furrowed in clear anger and fury. It was then that she heard him snort, which she had analyzed, was his way of laughing. It was absurd. She saw nothing funny in any of this. Now, well now she was just ticked off.

"I suppose I did her a favor then."

That was when they looked as if they entered a ferocious staring contest, both clearly intent on winning. There were distinct emotions coming from both parties, emotions that clearly contradicted the other. On one side, there was Sakura—hands still on her hips. Anger radiated from her very being. On the other side was Itachi. His posture looked quite relaxed—if anything, bored. But his face showed something different. A small smirk placed itself on the corner of his mouth and his eyebrows were lifted only the slightest. He was amused. And even though Sakura was pissed beyond all belief, she was the first to look away—willing to put aside her anger to just finish her job.

Bandaging took the longest and she was forced to remove his clothing despite the challenges his bindings presented. She strained not to look at his body, his arms, his strong fingers. It wasn't hard, considering the large gash adorning his gut. He was very tired of counting the tiles on the ceiling over and over and almost sighed in relief when she moved away, obviously finished for the day.

"We're done for now," she declared although she really didn't need to clarify. She retrieved her clipboard and scribbled lightly. "The bone I have put back in place. It was broken, but I have fixed it. Keep it in a sling for now. There is still an incredible amount of bruising. Do not make unnecessary movements." She spoke like a robot, eyes not leaving the clipboard as she wrote. "Your stomach is severely wounded. I have started the healing process enough to prevent infection if we're lucky. The bandages should help some. I'll finish tomorrow."

Then she looked at him and their eyes connected. Once more, a warm feeling invaded every part of her. His eyes swirled and for a second she thought he was sucking in her into his twisted world. But she dared not look away. She saw determination. She saw hate. She saw sorrow. She saw it all. It was familiar. It was Sasuke. With lithe fingers, she traced his jaw line. It was strong and no doubt masculine. It clenched under her delicate touch. She tilted her fingers and soon it was only her nails that grazed his skin. He would never admit it, but he felt a chill swarm his body from the innocent touch.

"Medic," he said, snapping her from her trance. She pushed away from him and searched for her clipboard that she found discarded on the floor. When she had dropped it was beyond her. "Medic." Flushed, she pushed her hair behind her ears and her eyes scanned the room quickly once more. He was not a stupid man and her emotions that she wore so freely on her sleeve helped him come to the conclusion that she was embarrassed and nervous and maybe even a little frightened. She picked up the clipboard, muttering about butter fingers. "Medic."

She turned and looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights. She shoved it off and gave him an impatient look. She lifted her shoulders and raised her eyebrows. "What?"

"You saw someone in me."

"No."

"Tell me."

"He isn't important."

But he was.

She gathered her things, lightly letting her hand graze the cloak. She kept her eyes on the clouds for a moment too long. They stuck out harshly against the dark color of the cloak.

"Medic," he said before she was out the door. "Get some sleep tonight."

"Sure," she said before leaving the room. She heard her heart beat loudly against her chest. She heard the guards offer her a goodnight. She heard them as they scrambled to peak into the room to see if the man who had slain his whole clan, murdered his family and many innocents, was still nestled inside. But for some reason, she had a hunch he wasn't going anywhere. At least, not for now. The inspections were now getting on her nerves. She bit her bottom lip in annoyance as the guard searched her. She felt his hands on her arms, on her legs, her hips, her waist. She thought of Sasuke.

No, she should forget about him. She walked from tall, foreboding building with brisk steps. She would think of her makeshift dinner—sitting all alone on her couch while downing some ramen. She would think of her soap opera burning on the television. And most importantly she would not think of Sasuke. She would think of the day she went to the beach and the lighthouse in the distance. She would think of angels and boats out at sea.

That night she did not shower. She skipped it. Skipped the daily ritual of cleansing. In the shower, she would rid everything down the drain—see it disappear from her vision. She would wash away the daily work until all that was left was herself. Herself and her thoughts. But today she went straight for her bed. She was exhausted. She felt alive.

That night she stared at the ceiling, blanket thrown aside. Her hair fell around her head, almost creating a throne. She thought about red eyes, dark hair, and an intense glare, but she did not think of Sasuke.

-

-

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading and please review!

Still not edited.

3/28/09


	3. day three

**The Awakening**

**by**** stones**

* * *

**Day Three**

On the third day she was tired, broken, and shattered.

Yesterday had been a giant pain in the ass. Healing was something she did without second thought. But so much of it always drained her chakra, her energy, and her mood. And yet here she was, preparing for another day of it. For some reason, she had dug up the strength to go the extra mile and actually put some thought into her hair and makeup. Her face had been made and it looked content, the exact opposite of how she was feeling. There had been a loud knock on the door and she imagined herself opening it. Opening and seeing Sasuke. He would stare at her without words but she would know everything he was dying to say. He would stand, rooted in place and she would let him in and make some tea. Then they would get on with their life and pick up where they left of. They would make up for lost time. Many days, hours, minutes of lost time. But as she opened the door heavily, she realized it wasn't him. It never would be.

"Hi Sakura," Naruto greeted, a huge smile adorning his friendly face. She swore she saw his nose twitch in anticipation but merely pushed it aside and welcomed him in.

"Naruto," she countered, walking further into her apartment as he followed closely behind. "Good morning. Take a seat. I'll make some tea." He fashioned himself a seat on the coach near the kitchen. Her apartment was so tiny and had an open layout so that it all seemed like a big jumble of a room. She set the kettle on the stove and lit a match before the gas caught fire. It took a couple seconds before she could see the kettle moisten from the sudden change in temperature and sure enough, it started bubbling soon after.

"You seem tired," Naruto said as she joined him sitting on the coach. She nodded and sighed, stretching her arms over her head.

"Maybe that's because I am," she replied. The remote to the television sat lonely on the coffee table and she picked it up swiftly. She turned it on to a random channel and lowered the volume just enough so that it filled some of the room with its noise. It wasn't as if she would have felt awkward. Being around Naruto was anything but. For the longest time they had been together. And even though he so annoyingly chased after her in her youth, they made it through the tests and trials and came out still intact. She had no doubt that that was a sign of true friendship. One that would never be tarnished.

"We went out for ramen yesterday," Naruto informed just as the kettle started to whistle, rudely interrupting their conversation. Sakura hummed as a sign to continue. She squeezed beside Naruto and the coffee table and he pulled his legs to himself to let her through. "You know Sai and I. Hinata was there too." Sakura lifted a brow. "We had to leave soon though. Sai called a costumer Ugly Whore and well, it didn't really end nicely."

Sakura laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I wish you could have been there," he said, scratching the back of his head with a laugh. His legs shifted, trying to find a comfortable position. Each one he chose had proved to be awkward and stiff. "You know, it just seems wrong that he's taking up your time when you could be spending it with your team—your friends."

"There's always next time."

A cabinet drawer opened and she fished out two mugs and plopped a tea bag into each. She poured the scalding water until it filled just enough so that it wouldn't tip and burn her fingers as she walked to the table. Steam lifted from the cups and she hovered a hand above each until they grew hot and little beads of moisture formed on her fingers. The heat had stung but she didn't lift her hand. Instead she looked at Naruto to give him a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, next time," Naruto sang, his usual cheery disposition showing through with bright colors. Sakura set the two mugs of tea on the table, ignoring the stray streaks of liquid running down the sides and gathering annoyingly on the table. "When you have the free time we should all just hang out. Not just you, me, and Sai. I mean like everyone. Like a big happy family!"

A big happy family.

"Yeah, sure," Sakura nodded, bringing the mug to her lips only to have them linger on the edge nervously. The thought was warming. Anyone who wouldn't beam at the thought having your loving friends surround you was surely crazy. Her excitement didn't show through her face and she suspected that Naruto took this the wrong way. "That sounds like fun."

"Maybe you could, you know, go out with the girls more," Naruto suggested, letting his tea cool before he would even attempt to take a sip. It sat on the table and he decided to focus his attention on it instead of his friend next to him—maybe out of nervousness or maybe because the tea was just so interesting.

"I do. I just don't have time for that right now. Why does it matter anyway?" It was true that the thought of going out with her girlfriends seemed almost childish in a way, which was a new way of looking at it. There was so much more going in the world and she chose to spend it in a bar or maybe a club. Yes, such trivial things suddenly seemed juvenile to her.

"I don't know," Naruto replied, shaking his hand in the air almost as if he was erasing everything he had just said. It was stupid to suggest such a thing. He could feel like Sakura was feeling a bit on the lonely side recently. Her dating had died down considerably and although he just wanted to help her out with a little suggestion, he regretted it. It was stupid. It was dumb. He was meddling in her life to much. "Forget I said anything."

"Yeah, alright," Sakura sighed. It was Naruto. After spending so many years with this boy—no man--, she knew that he was always off on crazy tangents and she didn't doubt that this was just another one. Just another crazy tangent. "Whatever you say.'

"Yeah," Naruto murmured next to her. Finally, he lifted his tea and took a casual sip although she realized that he would glance at her every now and then through the corner of his eyes. She knew something was happening. Something was on the blonde's mind.

"Naruto, is it Hinata?" she asked, taking a stab in the dark. Not much was able to bring the blonde's spirit down and when something was, a guess was in order because he was not someone to come out and cry his problems.

"Hinata?" he asked, looking incredulous. "No, no. It's not her."

"Then wha-"

"Kill him, Sakura."

The words came out heavy and weird. It was strange—such a tone coming from Naruto. He looked at her, as serious as he'd ever been before. These moments were rare and when stumbled upon, it was hard not to stare in bewilderment. They sat on the coach and suddenly she had the urge to move away from him. For the first few seconds she didn't even know what he was talking about. She hadn't made the connections and it didn't register in her brain. But as she clutched the mug in her hands until her knuckles turned white, she put it together. He was asking her to kill. Asking her to murder.

"_What_?"

"Kill him," he said once more, his tone hazardously low. He did not even blink as he stared straight at her, almost as if he was determined not to let her sidestep his request. "Kill him and bring Sasuke back."

"He'll hate me for it," she replied. She could not fully comprehend what her friend was saying to her. She couldn't grasp the idea behind it all. He was asking to her to be something she wasn't. He was almost challenging her. Daring her. Pushing her. And to put it simply, she was already so close to the edge.

"I-I would do it if I had the chance," he informed Sakura and she finally found her muscle movement and set her mug next to his. "But I don't. Even if he were to hate me, at least he would be at home. At least he would be back. Without his brother running around, he has no reason not to come back."

"How do you suggest I do it?" Sakura asked. She knew he hadn't thought this through thoroughly. There was always the fact that Sasuke most likely wouldn't even want to come back after his brother's death. And that, well that stung even more than him leaving in the first place. Naruto didn't know what he was saying; he was acting on impulse. He was always a passionate person. How she wished that she could act on an urge. Rely on selfish tendencies. But he was anything but selfish. Maybe just a little lost. "I can't just kill him. They want him alive."

"They'll kill him sooner or later," Naruto said next to her. To speak of such things with him felt incredibly strange and out of place. All their conversations had been light hearted and pleasant. Speaking of death and betrayal even though they constantly dealt with it was out of the ordinary. "But it needs to be done now."

"They want to question him," Sakura reminded him.

"Who cares about the Akatsuki?" he spoke loudly. He stiffened in his seat and sat forward, hands moving along with his words. He was barely on the couch anymore and was craving to stand in the anxiousness of it all. "We'll worry about them later."

"They want to kill you!" she exclaimed. The idea that he would push away the chance to save himself from their grasp was crazy. But she supposed she couldn't blame him when she felt just as strongly about Sasuke.

"And I'll suffer for him," he whispered, finally looking away. "I want him home as soon as possible."

Yes, her friend was passionate. Passionate but not selfish.

* * *

"Good morning," she greeted as she nodded her head at the guards standing outside his door. They acknowledged her and she lifted her arms and spread her legs. Was this even necessary? She had been searched at least two times before this. She would have to be an absolute genius for her to sneak anything past the first ones. But perhaps that's what they did this for. After all, they had one in their cells.

She entered the room, carrying her medical kit and clipboard. At first she thought him to be sleeping. His eyes were closed and his breathing was even. He seemed almost peaceful, something that contradicted his person greatly. She was happy that he was sleeping. She had to admit it made her less tense. His powerful gaze would not be pinning her down. She could move more freely and dare she say, more comfortably. But this was a laugh. Comfortable and this man did not mix.

Like water and oil.

She turned her back on him and set her things on the table with the most cautious movements. His cloak was still laid lazily about. Nothing in this room had been moved. Now that she thought about it, she turned to study him. He was in the same position—the chains, the restrains, the same smelly clothes, the same bloodstained cheek, the same everything. Did they even feed him? Why did they suspect her to heal him when they could not even supply simple nutrients that were essential to the body?

"It is rude to stare."

She hadn't even seen him open his eyes or move his mouth. But there he was, looking straight at her once more. An eyebrow was lifted, challenging her to say something. She could have sworn he was smirking. Her eyebrows furrowed angrily. He wanted her to say something? She wouldn't disappoint.

"Then lucky for me, I wasn't staring," she countered, turning fully from the table to face him head on. In any other circumstances, she would have shied away. But in his current position, she couldn't help but dabble in experimentation. She had the chance to face him without the threat and fear of dying. And now that the opportunity lay so graciously in front of her, she snatched it without a second thought. "I was observing."

"Two words. One meaning."

"What about you?" she asked, creating a new sort of argument. "All you do is stare."

She saw him smirk and close his eyes lightly. His body moved back lazily and his head was leaned on the cold, metal wall. "Not staring," he corrected her, opening his eyes. "Observing."

Without any noise, she stood in front of him. He continued to look straight at her even as she looked away. She cleared her throat and crouched only slightly to reach the height he was at while sitting. Her hands moved slowly and they lifted his torn clothes. The bandages were bloody, dirty, and they stunk. Slowly, she unwrapped the cloth from his body and with each layer that was discarded, the smell increased. It was gory. The gash was infected and luckily for him, only slightly. She needn't even use her chakra on it. Antibiotics would suffice and remove the infection with a couple days. She didn't want to unnecessarily use her chakra when something else could have easily done the same repairs. It was wet and sludgy looking. Some skin was tinted the slightest green and it felt incredibly warm. It was on fire.

"Infected," she said curtly. She returned to her medical kit and began to scavenge. He watched her from behind. Since her face was considerably out of sight, he took it upon himself to look at other things: the back of her head, her shoulders, her hips, her ass, her incredibly smooth looking legs. He imagined her during a battle, training, taking a nap, having sex. "Easy to fix though."

She turned around and smiled in triumph, shaking a small container that clattered with the pills inside. He eyed it slightly. The thought that he would have to be dependent on something so small, so easily crushable, annoyed him greatly. And he must have shown that through his face because the girl suddenly shrunk, shoulders slumped.

"I'll have to wait for the infection to heal before I start the stitching," she informed, staring at his wound with squinted eyes. It showed how much she was disgusted. How much it sickened her. "Should clear up in a day or two. Open up."

He looked at her as she walked closer and crouched before him once more. She wasn't staring at his eyes. Her gaze was most definitely locked onto his lips but maybe it was only because that was where she was aiming to pop the pills in. A different thought flickered through her head but she quickly shoved it away. Reluctantly, his lips parted only slightly and she took one pill in her hand. The room was unbearably quiet and his stare was still making her brow sweat. She had succeeded in putting the pill in his mouth and soon another followed. Her fingertips grazed his thin lips for a second and they felt cold. Bitterly cold.

Soon she followed with water, which dribbled down his chin when she twitched the slightest bit. But she hissed to herself that she was not too blame. Keeping one's composure seemed incredibly hard under his stare. She watched the water flow from his lips to his chin—some dripping on his clothes-- and she contemplated for a moment. Should she wipe it away? But with what, her hand? Quickly so that she could not think about it any longer, she rubbed the back of her hand against his chin. She heard a deep breath by him. It sounded amused. Soon another pill was shoved in his face but his mouth had already longed closed. He had received the needed antibiotics. What was the meaning of this?

"Soldier pill," she answered his unspoken questions. Whoever said that he had no emotions was a fool. Clearly he did. But his way of expressing them seemed so pristine, so noble, that one could not help but think he did not feel what he felt. Did not think what he thought. Did not see what he saw. He certainly knew how to control these emotions. A true talent of a great ninja. "It will have to do until I can do something about the food. Or lack there of." And with that, he reluctantly swallowed yet another pill.

"How very thoughtful of you."

"It's my job," she reminded. She retreated back to her things and began to scratch on her clipboard. It was hard to keep track of time and sometimes he found himself wondering whether it was day or night. But whenever she came in, she smelled off coffee or tea which sent a message to him that it was either morning or very close to noon. But when she left, he would be lost again. Stuck in time. Stuck in one place.

"I can give you painkillers," she informed him, not taking her eyes off her medical kit, which she was repacking. Pills rattled in their containers. She wound bandages back into a neat roll. She folded little towels back to place.

"I think I can handle it."

"Arrogant bastard," Inner Sakura huffed.

"Many people want you dead," she said, taking the conversation into a total different direction. She felt she needed to remind him. Felt as if he had forgotten who he was, what he had done. He seemed content with himself, almost as if he had forgiven himself for all the evil he had ever committed. But soon in time she would learn, forgetting and forgiving were two separate things. Her thoughts drifted to Naruto sitting on her couch, watching her with those desperate eyes. How easily it would be to just take the syringe, fill it with poison, stab it through the Uchiha's skin and watch slowly as he died. How easy it would be to end this all.

But at the same time, how incredibly hard.

"So I've been told."

"One of them being your own brother," she said, closing the lid of her medical kit with a loud thud. She was enraged when he had chosen not to say anything. He didn't even have to say anything. A huff, a snort, a sniffle. Anything would suffice. But no, there was nothing. Once again. "Don't you care? Aren't you going to say anything?"

"What would you like me to say?"

She froze because she didn't know.

"'Till tomorrow then," she huffed. Even in her hurried state, one where she was so anxious to leave this room, she took the time to let her fingers touch his cloak. Before she made it out the door, his voice stopped her.

"Where is my goodbye kiss?"

She stood frozen at the doorway. She couldn't believe what had just come from his mouth—what had just entered her ears and nestled into her brain. She turned her head slightly to the side but not enough to look at him. "You'll do your best to remember that we are not playing house, Uchiha."

"Oh yes. My mistake. I forgot. We are playing doctor."

Finally, she shifted all the way. Her eyes locked with his and she swore she felt eternity pass in a matter of seconds. His eyes swirled dangerously.

"I am not playing anything. You are not playing anything." There was a long pause and her voice came out soft, sorrowful, and maybe even desperate. "This is _not_ a game."

He said nothing and she didn't really expect him too. This was an Uchiha she was dealing with. She had to make sure not to expect a heavy conversation or else she would be left incredibly disappointed. Funny and ironic how that turned out. Disappointment. Once a word that Uchiha Itachi had stayed away from like the plague. Now, she was sure that he was the very definition to all Uchihas watching them from above and all the villagers who had heard of the tales and the legend. No, not the legend. To be a legend, he would have to be dead. Soon, very soon. He would be legendary. But he would not be respected. People would spit upon his grave and forever he would be known as the monster born in Konoha.

"Was all that supposed to be a joke?" she asked, incredulous.

"Do I look amused?"

She didn't know because in the end, Uchiha Itachi was an incredibly hard man to read.

* * *

"Sakura."

She turned and smiled at Shizune who had been walking down the opposite was of the street. The two medics stopped for friendly conversation. They were polite. They were mannered. And looking past all that, they were curious.

"How are things going?" the older woman asked, a smile decorating her ordinary question. It was a simple sentence, laced together with simple words. But they meant so much more. The answers were finite. They could be broad. They could be specific. Unfortunately for her, Sakura was feeling vague.

"Fine," she answered plainly. The other woman nodded, understanding her short reply. For this reason, Sakura lengthened it. "You know, can't complain." But she could. And she wanted to.

"That's nice to hear," Shizune whispered, ceasing the nodding of her head. A quiet breeze flew by and danced around them. Their hair blew softly, Sakura's twisting more rapidly due to the long length. "I suppose I should get going. Things are still kind of hectic around the hospital."

Sakura 'hm'ed while Shizune brushed past her. Suddenly, she turned and had the urge to reach out to the woman. She caught her by the elbow and Shizune halted in her steps. She looked to Sakura with raised eyebrows, patiently waiting for whatever the pink-haired girl had to say.

"Why me?" was the only words that left Sakura's mouth but Shizune knew what she had meant.

"It was Tsunade's call," Shizune said and Sakura let go her hold on the woman. Shizune straightened and turned to her fully from the sudden freedom in movement. "Not mine."

"I will not question it then," Sakura concluded and the older medic nodded. She continued to take her leave and Sakura watched as she disappeared around the corner, making her way to the hospital. The thought entered her mind that this was some sort of test. Maybe the Hokage had personally chosen Sakura for this job for the fact that she wanted to create some kind of test—a test to see how far her loyalty stretched. Maybe she wanted Sakura to kill him. Murder him in a silent way. Maybe that was the reason Naruto had visited her that night. Maybe Tsunade doubted her abilities because of her affection toward Sasuke.

That seemed highly unlikely. Tsunade knew just as much as Sakura that she must follow orders and nothing more. She was not in the position to evaluate and calculate her own actions. Her life was that of a ninja. She took orders, defended her village, and fulfilled her duties. This sort of test was not likely. It was even ludicrous. Looking back at the Uchiha's early question that made her redden like a tomato, she realized this whole thing was the definition of ludicrous. She looked at the sky and noticed it was still a brilliant blue meaning she had finished early and would be able to spend some of her time in the brilliant sun. It was peaceful.

Peaceful and ludicrous.

Like water and oil.

* * *

"Yo," someone said next to her and Sakura turned her head. The wild grass tickled her face and pricked her ear. She nodded in acknowledgement at Shikamaru who had taken it upon himself to lie down next to her. "Someone's taken up my hobby."

"It's tranquil," she said, explaining herself. She saw him smirk through that lazy face of his. Deciding that this conversation would linger no further, she settled her head straight once more and stared at the sky, which held a large number of fluffy, white clouds. As some would pass, she would connect them to various animals. Rabbits, deer, puppies. Everything safe and cute.

"Is he everything they say he is?" Shikamaru asked beside her. She nearly jumped from the sudden noise. The soft wind had lulled her into a silent trance and the sun beat down on her eyes, coaxing her to savor the moment and close her eyes. Breathe deeply and feel everything around her. His voice was a sharp contrast to all of this and it cut through her daze like a knife through butter.

"Yeah," she answered, opening her fingers wide and stretching them to feel the leaves bend below them. "And more." Much more. He was surprising, this Uchiha. There was no doubt the resemblance between brothers. They acted much the same and both had dug themselves deep in her brain. The fact that Uchiha Itachi could find any sort of sarcasm in that isolated, cold cell was beyond her. It was crazy. It was refreshing. Now as she looked up at the great clouds, she was at a loss. She could see no animals, no images. She saw nothing but what they were. Clouds. They were not bunnies, hippos, or any other ridiculous animal hidden in her imagination. No, they were only clouds.

"How troublesome."

She laughed. "You really have no idea."

"Where is everyone else?"

"Who knows? Who cares?"

This surprised the lazy Shikamaru who could have sworn that the pink haired medic was saying everything he would have. The words were light and carefree. He knew that they arose from revelations and remembrance.

Revelations and remembrance.

Like water and oil.

* * *

That night Sakura ate a whole tub of ice cream. Her sweet tooth had kicked in and she became the girl she was. She stared at the television screen, tears streaming down her face. A sappy chick flick flashed before her. It was tragic really. It was about a woman whose husband had recently left her. She was picking up the pieces to the complicated puzzle that was her heart. It hearts were really puzzles, Sakura guessed that she had missing pieces scattered everywhere.

After her shower, she sauntered into bed and nuzzled her face into her pillow. She imagined she was nuzzling herself into Sasuke's chest while he grunted knowingly. Her lower muscles in her abdomen clenched at the thought. But he was not there to finish the job. He was not there to further ignite this desire and bring it to its peak. No he was not there. She turned in her bed and yawned heavily. Her blanket was hoisted up to her chin and she clenched the fabric in her hands.

She then thought about Naruto. His request. His eyes. His desperate eyes. His mouth. His determined lips. Cold lips. Cold like Uchiha Itachi's. Uchiha Itachi. She had heard about him but now she saw him before her very eyes and she realized he was not what she thought he would be. She expected to walk into the room be dead within a few minutes. But even this thought was funny. He couldn't. He was restrained. He was incapable of killing her, right?

She turned once more in her bed. She began to take notice of the differences in her and the older Uchiha. She had bright pink hair that some found incredibly obnoxious but others found extraordinary. He had dark hair that made him very mysterious—almost the complete opposite of the predictable woman that she was. He showed emotions, but to the very minimum. She was a basket full of brightly colored emotions that flared back and forth. He was a killer who stole life and she was a medic who gave it back. He was him and he was her if that made any sense. They were different and she realized they would never mix.

Like water and oil.

But still, even when the two were put together, they would swirl around each other, living in a unique, dysfunctional situation.

-

-

* * *

A/N: Many mistakes in this one. Will fix one day. Thank you for reading and please review.


	4. day four

**The Awakening**

by **stones**

* * *

**Day Four**

On the fourth day she was interested in the similarities.

Now that she had spent two days with this man, this killer, she found that she could loosen up. Not completely. No, never completely. But she had learned that he would always stare, always smirk, and always snort. She had learned that he was cheeky, stubborn, and sarcastic. She had learned that he was confusing and challenging. She had learned he was like his little brother. He was like Sasuke.

Sakura woke from her bed and reluctantly left the warmth that it surrounded her in. The feeling was familiar. It was a feeling of loss and the cool chill in the air teased her, causing her to hop over to her dresser with faster steps. Instead of skipping her breakfast like usual, she took the time to open the fridge and search for some food that would satisfy her morning cravings. In the end, she fished out a piece of bread and stuffed it quickly into her mouth.

Then a thought had hit her. How she was about to skip out on another nutritional breakfast. How many kids were starving in the streets. How Uchiha Itachi had not eaten in two days. But she knew she couldn't feel sorry for that man. Even when he crossed her mind, all she could associate with him was anger. Anger and hate. Anger, hate, and Sasuke. With that, she sauntered over to the stove and set some water for tea. She wondered if he would favor raspberry or green tea.

She didn't ponder on it, but in the back of her mind she knew this tea wasn't for Uchiha Itachi. No it was for his younger brother.

It was for Sasuke. Everything was for Sasuke.

**

* * *

**

"Morning," she greeted as she neared the guards. They eyed her suspiciously, noticing she was carrying more than just her medical kit and clipboard. She had a bag that hung on her shoulder and in it, they could tell, was something unnecessary. Unnecessary and foolish. She sat quietly as they inspected her things, nibbling on the tips of her fingers nervously. She would have bitten her nails, but as it were, they had already been chewed off after she had found about her job to heal Uchiha Itachi.

"Your compassion is really cute," one of the guards scoffed, rotating the thermos in his hands. She eyes it greedily as he held it in his grasp. It made her angry that he was so mockingly displaying it in front of her. She knew it was stupid and incredibly childish, but did he have to go so far as to make her redden completely with embarrassment?

"It's for me," she lied, crossing her arms with irritation. "I've been feeling sick lately. Tea always makes me feel better." She unraveled her arms and held one out, beckoning for him to hand over her precious tea.

"Drink it out here," he challenged, not yet ready to hand it back to her.

"This is ridiculous," she huffed, letting her arms fall in defeat. The other guard at the door observed the scene in front of him with a raised brow. "It's tea. Not a freakin' detonator. What harm is it going to do?"

"Orders are orders," the man countered, shaking the thermos so that they could hear the liquid splash around inside. As he continued to shake, she grew even more frustrated. The fact that he was throwing her emotions around without a second thought cut her deep. "Nothing goes in that doesn't need to go in."

"He hasn't eaten in days," she insisted. The man scoffed and looked away for only a second. She could tell that he saw this as incredibly immature. He was a murder, a villain. The last thing he deserved was food or even tea. She knew this. Knew this but at the same time, pushed away her knowledge to act on instinct.

"That's not my or your concern," he replied, lowering his hands.

"On the contrary," she countered, going to take the thermos back. He pulled away when she had gotten close enough to snatch it back. "I am his medic. It does concern me."

"No tea," was all the man said and she understood that this was final.

"Fine," she said, shoulders slumped in clear defeat. She watched the thermos with a solemn expression as the man set it on a nearby table. It teased her greatly. "Well, then I suppose I shouldn't even go in there."

"What is that supposed to mean?" the man asked, finally retreating back to his position.

"Is it really _necessary _for me to go in and heal him if he's not even going to be fed?" she explained. "It's pointless."

He sighed and she could tell he was clearly annoyed by her constant nagging and bantering but that was what she was aiming for. If the man was going to give her trouble for her _tea,_ she would give him all the crap she could muster up. Because after all, she was a pro at this. Being annoying. Annoying.

_You're annoying._

Suddenly she quieted and looked away. "Just let me go in."

"You're a roller coaster of emotions, you know that?" the man asked, taking the keys from his pocket to finally unlock the door. He opened it slowly and Sakura looked inside the gray, dull room to see him looking back at her. She stood for a second, not quit sure what had just happened. Had she really expected to give this murderer some tea? Had she gone crazy? "Sorry, no tea."

"It better not be gone when I'm done," she said, reluctantly taking her eyes off the Uchiha to look at the guard once more. "I didn't make it for you."

"No," he agreed, lifting his arm to softly nudge her inside the room. "I suppose only it's only for criminals."

"Funny," Sakura huffed, finally taking the final step from the threshold to enter the room. The door closed behind her and the lock clicked. At first they just stared once more. It was becoming more of a ritual than anything else. She shifted the bag on her shoulder in anxiousness and cleared her throat. He nodded in acknowledgement and she found it almost weird that he would greet her. He barely did, but still. He did greet her.

"Hi," she said pathetically, the words coming too soft for her liking. She walked further into the room and set her back next to his cloak. He raised a brow at the bag, wondering what she would possibly need that for. "Let's do this."

He said nothing as she neared him and crouched. Her hands reached out and she lifted his clothing to look at the gash. She smiled in satisfaction when she realized the infection had significantly reduced, enough for her to start her stitching anyway. She turned on the balls of her feet to shuffle through her bag. With a annoyed grunt, she fished out her medical kit and set it on the metal table.

"You brought tea for me," he finally said and she froze at his words. She brought her attention away from the open medical kit and turned to look at him. He didn't look amused or annoyed. In fact, she couldn't quite tell what he was feeling. She supposed all Uchiha's were like that.

"No," she lied, looking back to her medical kit. She lifted a package of sterile needles and thread. She would have liked this to take place in the hospital, in a cleaner environment. She supposed she was the only one who cared. Instead she was doing this in a dingy cell filled with cobwebs and covered in dirt and dust. There was a small rusted sink and she doubted it even worked. "I didn't bring it for you."

"Oh, then for who?"

He could not let this go, could he? "For me."

"That's very selfish of you," he said, clicking his tongue. Now she was sure he found this funny. This was not a happy thought. He found her despair funny.

"Don't even get me started on selfish," she said, taking out a pair of latex gloves to peel them over her hands. She opened the package of needles harshly and a few fell to the ground in the process. That was when she realized the room was so quiet that they could hear them fall.

"You're nervous," he said too simply for her tastes

"No," she insisted, determined to keep her mind at the task at hand. She unraveled the thread and grabbed a needle. "I'm just tired."

"I believe I told you to get a good rest."

"Silly me for not following your orders," she replied dryly, readying the needle and thread.

"Your attitude isn't needed, _Sakura._"

She dropped the needle from her hands and gripped the edge of the table until she was sure that her knuckles had turned white. She didn't dare turn around. She didn't dare to see his face curl up in that smirk that she suddenly found so disgusting. The way he had said her name. It was as if he had something purely evil. That was how it sounded coming from his mouth. Then it hit her that he actually knew her name. The thought was incredibly nerve-racking and overall frightened her so much that her fingers shook.

"W-what?"

"Is something the matter?" he asked, a smug look on his well defined face. She could tell that he knew what he was doing. He knew what buttons he so daringly pushed.

"My name," was all she said and needn't have said more. So many questions buzzed through her jumbled mind: why did he know her name? How did he find out what it was? What was the point of knowing her name?

"My brother's old teammate," he explained with short words. He watched as her mouth opened and closed. She was trying to find something to say but seemed that the words were lost in thought. "I know more about my brother than you think."

"Your brother?"

"Yes, my brother," he said, face turning suddenly serious. She had no doubt that he had gotten annoyed that he needed to repeat himself. His voice dropped lower and maybe even a little quieter. All this he did for one reason: so she would listen. "Or perhaps you have forgotten about him?"

"Never," she snapped without second thought. Quickly, she shut her mouth. Her reaction had been too sudden, too drastic. No doubt her quick answer had given away her extreme devotion to the younger Uchiha.

"Is that why you are so upset around me?"

"No," she hissed, finally turning to face him fully. She bore holes into him but he seemed even calmer than ever. He hadn't moved once since she had entered and she damned him for his calmness. For the way he could control every emotion so that his weaknesses were not displayed. She damned him for not showing those emotions that she knew were bubbling inside him. She damned him for not embracing the feelings that coursed through him. She damned him for being who he was and what he had done. "He is not you."

"We are more alike than you think," the Uchiha countered quickly, not missing a beat. This kept Sakura on her toes and she rose to her full height. Perhaps she supposed that this would boost her confidence. She was so much higher than him when he was sitting. So much taller. "Has he not left this pitiful village for more power? Has he not betrayed everyone who had set him on such a high pedestal."

"He didn't kill his family or his clan!" she yelled at him, emotions clearly running high. They stared at each other and everything grew silent. She hadn't noticed because inside her head, she continued to curse at him. Itachi observed the girl in front of him. The way she continued to glare at him. The way her upper lip lifted only slightly. The way she continued to grip the table. The way tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

"He didn't have a chance to."

Sakura said nothing.

"Because I beat him to it."

**

* * *

**

Sakura stared at the coffee in front of her that had already turned cold from the neglect. With a heavy sigh, she blew the stray strands of hair from her face and dug her head deeper into the hold on her hands. Her heavy head was lifted and she surveyed her surrounding in the nearly empty café. She wondered if she should just go to the Hokage and ask to be put back in the hospital. Healing the Uchiha had become so much more complicated than Sakura had guessed it would. The tears that she had just shed a couple minutes ago had proved that.

Their little spat was suddenly interrupted with a knock on the door. It was time for questioning and no doubt the guards had heard the little scuffle and decided to act. She didn't want to ponder the conversation she had had with him any longer. Later she would recall those moments as The Awakenings. Yes, the similarities were there. She couldn't deny that. The words he had spoken were laced with reality and they unraveled her foolish lies and fantasies until all that was left was the bare truth. But even the truth she had decided to ignore.

Ignorance is bliss, after all.

"Hey there, Billboard-Brow," Ino said, taking a seat next to Sakura with a smile expertly placed on her feminine face. Sakura nodded and mumbled an incoherent word that the other girl had accepted as a greeting. "Something the matter?"

"No," Sakura grumbled, lifting her head from her hands to recline back in the wooden seat. "Just reminiscing."

"Your childhood wasn't that bad I'm hoping," Ino said, taking off her jacket to become more comfortable. She hung it on the chair and ran her hands through her ponytail. "Well, I was sort of a bitch to you when were little."

"Apology accepted," Sakura said, finally taking the cup of coffee to her lips.

"Hey, I never said I was apologizing," Ino said with a smirk. "Besides, you were just as bad as I was."

"What did we even fight about?" Sakura asked after taking a long gulp of her coffee. She forced herself to drink the liquid although she detested cold coffee.

"Do you even have to ask?" her friend said across from her, her voice dropping low.

No, she didn't.

"He always ruins everything," Sakura said, tracing the little designs on the cup of coffee with her finger. "And he doesn't even have to try. He doesn't know he's even going it at all."

"Well then, don't let him then," Ino simply said, allowing this answer to suffice as excellent advice. Sakura looked at her incredulously. If only things were as simple as that. If anything, Sakura had learned they were quite the opposite. There was a significant silence and Sakura added another packet of sugar, intent on making the coffee taste better. "There's a rumor going around that he's near."

Sakura stiffened at this and rose in her seat. "Yeah?"

"Well, what would you expect?" Ino asked, getting annoyed at her friend's sudden interest. "His brother's here, isn't he?" That was right. Sakura almost forgot about the older Uchiha she had been healing the past couple of days. "Looks like it's over."

But no, it was never over.

Sakura nodded, allowing her friend some satisfaction from her words. She looked away to the door. The thought was exciting. She could feel it run through her veins and gather in her head, making it feel heavy and weak.

"And you are not going to run off to go find him," Ino said, breaking Sakura from her trance. Sakura gave a fake look of confusion, which Ino brushed off. "We both know your crazy enough to do it. You can't. You'll ruin everything. You'll die."

"He wouldn't kill me," Sakura said quickly, her hands moving unsettlingly in front of her.

"Don't be so sure," Ino said, standing up to wrap her coat around herself. "He's not the same."

Sakura couldn't help but agree. Nothing was the same.

**

* * *

**

A few hours later and Sakura found herself staring at him again. The chains and bindings reassured her there was nothing he could do to hurt her physically. But mentally, he had already succeeded. Her eyes burned and she knew they were red and puffed, a sure sign that she had been crying. He took this in without even blinking.

"How was questioning?" she asked, making friendly conversation. Her words were soft and light as they left her lips and entered his ears. She made her way to him, slow and delicate strides guiding her.

"Questioning?"

She paused and nodded her head with a smile. He clearly saw that she was nervous and perhaps regretted her little outburst earlier. She was acting as if nothing had happened. As if she was a little kid who had thrown a tempter tantrum and suddenly was trying to repent for her actions. "Weren't you just questioned?"

"Sure. Questioned."

She could sense that sarcasm dripped from these words. He didn't even need to snort for her to understand that he was amused. She brought out the needle and thread once more, bent on finishing these stitches soon. They had been drawled out for so long and it needed to be done. Her hands came out once more to lift his clothing and what she saw sickened her. The gash did not look any better. It was bleeding profusely. She then noticed the scratches on his face, small trickles of dried blood lining his cheeks. Instinctively, she reached for his once broken arm and was a tad bit relieved when she found that it had not been taken out of the socket or broken once more.

"What is this?" she asked after inspecting him. Instantly, she went to for more bandages to help stop the bleeding from the large wound on his stomach.

A cynical snort was heard. "Questioning."

"Wha-"

"Do I have to spell it out for you, girl?" he hissed and suddenly Sakura had remembered who he was and what evil things he had done. She backed away from him and his sudden outburst.

"Torture," she said, answering her own unspoken question. His muscles seemed to relax. She kept it in mind that he was on edge and should not be provoked. He was in a horrible, horrible mood and Sakura did not want to be the one to push him over the edge. So they sat in silence and she resumed his bandaging, being more careful than ever. This would certainly set them back. His stitches would have to be set back another day or so. And that was only if the gash would not become infected. This was ludicrous. The whole idea of it. Why did they expect her to heal him if they were only making it worse?

"It doesn't make sense," she said out loud in a low whisper, one that she only met for her to hear. And if it hadn't been for the silence, he probably would have missed it.

"What doesn't?"

She did not jump at his voice even though it so loudly invaded the silence. Instead, she bit her bottom lip in contemplation and stopped her bandaging to look up at. "Why do they want me to heal you?"

"They don't," he answered. Clearly this girl was too naïve for her own good.

"They don't?"

"They want you to keep me alive."

Sakura said nothing but her mouthed opened in an understanding 'oh.' Yes, that did make sense now that he pointed that out. But this, this made her angry. She was a medic. She healed. She saved. She did not keep people alive just for them to suffer. No, it was her job to take that suffering away. In a way, she felt as if she was the one torturing him. After all, she was the only one allowing this all to happen. "Keep you alive to hurt you."

"No, my dear, to question me," he said although mockery was clearly intended. She decided to let this slip. He was still very tense and she did not want to be the one to wake the sleeping beast. "I believe they mean no harm."

"Uchiha," she said with a huff of a laugh. "Your attitude is not necessary."

"I do not have an attitude."

Sakura laughed. Actually laughed. And maybe she was going crazy, but thought she heard him give a deep breath that sounded like a mix of tension release and maybe a hint of a dry chuckle.

**

* * *

**

"You had extended feelings for him," he said as she removed the bandaging only a couple hours later. The bleeding had finally stopped and she was proud to say there was no infection. If she hurried, she could manage to put a few stitches to fix the damage that had recently been done. If she worked fast enough, she would be able to heal some of the gash before they questioned him again with the stitches and some of her chakra.

"For who?" she asked, half dabbling into the conversation. Her attention was more fixated on her plans for the rest of the night—how she was going to try to beat odds and go past her limit to help this murderer.

"Medic," he said, trying to pull her from her thoughts. She mumbled something that he couldn't quite catch. He watched for a few more moments as she fumbled with the bandages. She was hurrying and tripping over her own fingers. He ignored the pain that her fumbling fingers had caused. "_Sakura_."

She looked up at this and raised her eyebrows. "Y-yeah?" It was incredibly weird that he would use her name. It was wrong that they had skipped the formalities. It was almost as if they were something more than mere acquaintances.

"I do not repeat myself," he said, the stubborn parts of his personality shining through.

Her thoughts backtracked to what he had said, but all she could think of was his gash and stitches and bandages. He had something about feelings. Extended feelings. Whatever that meant. But she wasn't stupid and she knew what he was talking about. He meant his younger brother. He meant Sasuke.

"Sasuke," she repeated out loud. He nodded only slightly and the air grew thick. It was hard to breathe. It was the first time his name had been spoken between them and this held so much weight. It was crashing down on her back, weighing down her shoulders.

She didn't answer her question because she really didn't need to.

**

* * *

**

He sat perched upon a tree, looking down at the village in the distance. Without a doubt, this stupid village held so many memories and bonds—ones that he thought he had thrown out when he had left. Red eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What do we do?"

He didn't turn his head, keeping his attention on the village. There had been rumors and whispers. The clan killer, the murderer, the monster had been captured. Captured and taken back to Konoha. It was fucking ironic. It really was.

"We wait."

**

* * *

**

Sakura yawned again. There was no sign of the outside world from this cell, but she had no doubt it was late. Maybe even so past late that it was morning. She punctured the skin with the needle and pulled the thread through. Small trickles of blood dotted his skin. Some was even smeared on her hands. Funny. His blood on her hands. Never in a million years would she have predicted that. Never in a billion years would she have predicted that _any _of this would happen. The mood had lightened considerably into indifference. They bathed in the silence for the past hour and now Sakura silently worked away while he continued to stare at her.

She figured she had just gotten used to it. It didn't bother her as much as it had before. If she didn't look at the red eyes, she would be fine. She wouldn't get lost in them. She wouldn't lose her cool. And most importantly, she wouldn't think of his younger brother. She wouldn't think of Sasuke. But even this, she realized, was a lie.

"Just the way I want to spend my night," she said, sticking the needle through his skin once more. It had proved to be a bit more stubborn and she was forced to roughly push it through, which earned a small grunt from the man. "Sewing with an Uchiha."

"I'm flattered."

She smiled and continued her work until it was done. The minutes had ticked away quickly and she could tell her was exhausted and bored when she backed away. There were dark circles under his eyes and heavy lines running down his worn face. His growling stomach just added to it. With an exasperated grin, she turned to fish a soldier pill out of her medical kit.

"Dinner's ready," she sang, bringing the pill to his lips. Once it had disappeared in his mouth, she followed it with water—this time making sure to keep it from spilling all over him. She brushed her hands off, signalizing a job well done. She was exhausted. There was no doubt about that. There was a sense of pride that coursed through her while she examined her work. His stomach was neatly stitched, granted a few mistakes here and there. She had been working in such a frenzy, but nevertheless, managed to stitch up his gash. The cuts on his face had been cleaned off and bandages neatly covered them. Bruises still adorned his whole body, making her wince.

She nodded to him, showing that she was done for tonight. He noticed her proud smile on her face and nearly rolled his eyes. Hadn't she realized she had done all this work just for it to go to waste? She might as well have saved her energy. Heavens knows it would all be ruined tomorrow.

"Do I get my kiss now?"

She was at the door, looking back and shaking her head with a smile. "You're crazy."

He would have shrugged if not for the binding chains. "Maybe."

She stiffened in realization as he said those words. She had tossed the word around carelessly, but when he had admitted that he might be crazy, a big boulder had suddenly hit her. A big, big boulder called reality. Before she would have been the first to call him crazy. Maybe insane. And here she was, pushing herself to do anything in her power to help this man, this murderer. It was wrong. Terribly wrong. He was crazy.

But then again, so was she.

"Don't tease me, Uchiha," she warned, her hand lazily set against the cool metal of the door.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

She was too tired to do anything. "Well, it's time for me to go," she whispered and bit her lower lip. It all reminded her of a scene in a movie. The one awkward moment after a first date when the boy and girl would end up on her front porch. They would say their goodbyes and the girl would say that she needed to go. The boy would nod and after a few silent moments would lean with a stumble and the girl would meet him halfway.

Yes, it was most certainly like a scene from a teenage drama. But her world was anything but. She opened the door and looked back at him once more.

"Get some sleep."

She nodded quickly and left the room.

That night she hardly slept. Instead she stared once more at her favorite spot on the ceiling. She played images in her head and refused to call them fantasies. Instead, she would call them 'what-ifs.' She would play this game every night.

What if Sasuke never left? What if he was lying next to her, snaking his arm around his waste? What if she would call it cuddling and he would snort and say that it was not cuddling—it was called holding her still so she wouldn't toss and turn and piss him off. What if it were Sasuke in that cell and not him? What if Sasuke had asked her for a goodbye kiss and what if she had given it to him? What if Sasuke came back? What if he would reject her once more?

She ended her game and snuggled closer to her pillow. "It's foolish to think of such things."

**

* * *

**

He lay in the grass, facing the starry night. It was childish of him, but he played a little game of connect the dots using the bright stars. He could hear talking coming from the fire. Most likely the girl bitching. He was beyond annoyed when she had chosen to come to him. He heard her feet shuffling in the grass from a distance. She laid down next to him, back facing the sky, and he chose to ignore her presence.

"Star gazing?" she asked, head resting on her arms.

"Hn."

He could hear her stretch and move to lazily lie on her back. Her head was turned so that she could look at him but her fingers played with a few loose strands of grass.

"What if they kill him before you do?"

There was a heavy silence and it drawled on for so long that she was getting ready to get up and retreat back to the fire. When she was on her feet and brushing her clothes off, he finally spoke.

He looked away from the stars, ending his game. "It's foolish to think of such things."

-

-

* * *

A/N: I used to write way too much in these notes. Well, thank you for reading and please review.

Content has not been edited. Yet.


	5. day five

**The Awakening**

by **stones**

* * *

**Day Five**

On the fifth day, she was restless.

She could feel it dance through her whole body. A sort of unknown adrenaline released itself into her thick blood. The feeling of anxiety, hopelessness, and sheer confusion coursed through every fiber of her being. She wasn't entirely sure what brought upon these emotions, but she could not ignore them. They were incredibly strong. Strong and determined. She quickly slipped on her clothes. Her restless legs took her across the room and back in a frantic hurry. What was the rush? She did not know.

She had a theory that there were different roads in life, the one taken determined by the choices made from day to day. A couple years ago she was sure she was traveling the right one. It might have been paved with rocks and proved to be a bit bumpy, but in the end she was sure she was where she needed to be. That is, until he left. Then she found herself at a dead end.

She hadn't seen Naruto since that morning, and she was greatly tempted to go visit him. Even a separation as short as this one made her miss his company. It was hard not to. His personality was amazing to say the least. And for such a spirit to live in one who had faced so many things was truly a miracle. Instead of heading towards her patient, she turned onto a new street. It had seemed so long since she entered this building, but understood that this thought was rubbish. It had only been a couple days, but to her they were an eternity. Every hour was elongated. Every minute dragged on. Every second played teasingly on and on, letting her savor every moment that it offered.

When in front of the door, she gave it two knocks and almost instantly a voice beckoned for her to enter. She sauntered in, sending a greeting towards the Hokage. "I'm here for my report."

"Great," Tsunade said, leaning back in her chair to glance up and down the girl. There was a certain cheery aura about the girl, which was strange given the current circumstances, but perhaps this cheeriness was mistaken for jumpiness, in which case she could not blame her.

Sakura took her seat and repeated everything that she had spent time scribbling on her clipboard, although it wasn't in front of her. Tsunade nodded as she looked away from the girl, pondering on every word that was coming from the young medic's mouth. "Besides health, what else can you tell me?"

Sakura tensed. She was a medic, not an interrogator. She had expected that Tsunade would have understood this. It was not in her job to play such a part, but it was her duty to spill everything she knew to the Hokage. And for once in her life, she didn't. "Meaning?"

"Does he say anything?" Tsunade asked, shifting in her seat to lay her hands down on her desk. Sakura noticed this as something Tsunade did when she was talking business. "Anything at all?"

"I mean," Sakura said but quickly drifted off. There was a battle raging in her head, conflict clearly taking place. She knew she would have to tell the Hokage that he did talk, but she wasn't quite willing to tell her what he talked _about_. "Yes, he talks. Mostly just a few sarcastic remarks."

"Like what?"

"Useless things," Sakura lied, which she realized she was getting quite good at. The conversation took a pause after that and Tsunade clicked her tongue. "What time is his questioning?"

"It hasn't taken place today," Tsunade said, looking away from the young, pink-haired medic to think further. Sakura didn't want to intrude on her thoughts, but couldn't help the temptation to ask further.

"Why not?"

"He's not saying anything," Tsunade said, clearly annoyed. She looked back at Sakura and instantly Sakura looked away, not knowing how to react now that her gaze was centered on her. "Not one word." She could tell that the Hokage was on edge and that those words had somehow made it through clenched teeth. "_Nothing._"

"Nothing at all?" Sakura asked and this earned an irritated grunt from Tsunade. "Put Ibiki on the job-"

"He _is_ on the job," Tsunade said, shaking her head. This resulted in a form of amazement in Sakura's eyes. Anyone to make it against Ibiki was clearly someone who held a great amount of self-control and preservation. Not one word. Ibiki was known as a sadist who was able to bring down the greatest of criminals without even resorting to physical torture.

"Couldn't he get into his mind and-"

"There's a barrier," Tsunade said, cutting Sakura off. The room grew quiet. Sakura had long run out of ideas and all had been tried already. She didn't want to ask what type of barrier or how it could have even been placed. The Hokage's face was wrinkled in displeasure and her nails drummed against the desk, setting an uneasy beat across the room.

"He needs food," Sakura whispered quietly, scared to cut through the silence. Tsunade looked at her out of the corner of her eye and Sakura couldn't quite tell if she was giving her a look of bewilderment or annoyance. "Before you say anything, I'm just trying to do my job. I can't stop starvation without food. He'll die before we can do anything else."

"There is no point anymore I'm afraid," Tsunade countered. "If he won't talk, there's no reason to keep him around."

"You and I both know he can't die now," Sakura said, running close to daring. "This is concerning Naruto's safety. If he doesn't talk, we'll just have to keep trying."

Sakura interpreted Tsunade's sigh as an agreement. Deep down, Sakura knew that the Hokage in front of her cared for the blond and would also do anything in her power to keep him safe.

"We have to keep trying."

Tsunade nodded, almost as a plea for Sakura to stop talking. Once again she sighed and turned in her chair. "Consider it done."

Sakura smiled and bowed her head out of gratefulness, although she was sure Tsunade couldn't see it. "Don't expect a five star meal though. I'll send someone to feed him and if he doesn't accept being fed, I can't do anything about that."

Now this was dangerous. Sakura knew that if Uchiha Itachi wouldn't speak one word to anyone, he wouldn't allow him or her to feed him. The thought was almost funny-- someone feeding the great Uchiha Itachi like some common baby.

"Let me do it."

"What?" Tsunade asked, having expected this conversation to be over.

"It's my job," Sakura defended, although they both knew that Tsunade wasn't trying to insinuate anything—yet. "He needs to be fed. And we both know he's stubborn. I'm his medic and naturally, he is used to me…touching him." The words came out so awkward and incredibly strained. Although the intent was clearly innocent, the thought of touching Uchiha Itachi still sent chills running through her spine. "He'd probably be more accepting if I did it."

Tsunade sighed and Sakura smiled coaxingly for the fact that she was way too exhausted to argue. "Whatever floats your boat."

Sakura nodded and exited the room in a hurry. After all, she couldn't waste time because slowly but surely, her boat was sinking.

**

* * *

**

Sakura was drowning.

Her breaths came fast, but as each one was taken, water flowed through her mouth, ran down her throat, and lodged itself in her stomach and lungs. Frantically, her hands reached up to clutch her throat, begging for a fresh breath of air. Her eyes stung, the feeling of something unnatural throbbing in the back of her head. She was sure it had to be water, although she saw nothing but red. It wasn't as thick as blood and it flowed around her.

Her suffocation was coming greater and she flailed her arms and legs. Suddenly, she felt a weight pushing down on her shoulder. She kicked out and connected with something. Noises escaped her mouth but they sounded like nothing but moans and groans that were crushed by the pressure of the water.

Black dots lined her vision. Slowly her eyes grew heavier. Her breathing had ceased for now the water had entered her lungs. Surely she was about to die. She did not see her life flash before her eyes. She did not see her family or her friends. What she did see were red eyes. What she did see was him.

With a jolt, she lifted her head. There were a couple of frantic movements as she searched around herself. Her eyes rested upon her apartment where she now remembered stopping by to take a rest before going over to her patient. The feeling had felt so real and even now her throat burned with fear. Tears stung behind her eyes. She felt it so near. Death had been swirling all around, but now she was only surrounded by the noise of her TV and the sight of a bag of chips sitting on her table. It was evident that she had dozed off into a light nap though the attempt to gain some shut-eye was a failure.

She recalled the dream—no, nightmare—that she had just had. The feeling had been so real, so strong. Everything was crashing down upon her. Not just the memories of the dream, but the memories of the past couple days. Everything was so heavy, so forceful. Then there was the confusion clouding her mind. Just which brother had she seen?

Nearly an hour later, she walked along the narrow hallway, basket hanging on her arm. The poor excuse of a kitchen that was placed along the cells had prepared a rather pathetic meal consisting of a dry sandwich and apple, but either way, Sakura was proud of the fact that she had gotten him food. It was strange to think that she was feeding a villain—one who had not only slain innocent people, but also directly impacted her life.

This time the guards couldn't take it away. Whatever the Hokage had done, they certainly all got the note. They only nodded in acknowledgement, searched her, searched her belongings, and then let her in the room once all of the locks were undone. She entered the room and couldn't help but think of the first Awakening that had just taken place yesterday. She regretted it deeply. It put a strain on the two of them. She knew that. The words were too true and so real that they cut down the foundation, which she had built her imaginary world upon. And even though she had taken such a great fall, she figured she had found a new road. Granted, it was less traveled on; nevertheless, she was moving forward once more.

"Good news," she said, once they had stared at each other for a few moments. He noticed the basket and his stomach growled in response. Dare she say she found this cute? She shook her head as she walked closer, placing her things on the table—her medical kit and clipboard next to his cloak.

She opened the basket and fished out the poor excuse for a sandwich. With a lift of the top piece of bread, she showed him the contents almost as if she was waiting for his approval, understanding that he would never give it. The sandwich was altogether quite plain. A simple piece of turkey with mayonnaise globed on messily.

"Yum?" she said, although it came more as a question than statement. Either way, she was only trying to make it better. She lifted it to his mouth and he stared long and hard. The thought that he was dependent on _her_ to feed him no doubt outraged him to no end. His fingers tensed at the idea. He was stubborn all right, but not stubborn enough to say no to his growling stomach.

Bite after bite, she nodded her head. The meal progressed slowly, which was something she had not expected. Under such hunger, any person would have launched themselves at whatever food lay before them. They would have given into the carnal instincts which connected humans to animals. But Uchiha Itachi took his time. Took his time as if he had all the time in the world to waste. She figured he couldn't be trying to savor the meal. That looked nearly impossible. The bread was stale. She could feel it crumple easily in her light hold. Maybe she should have grabbed something from her apartment, although the thought came too late.

"It was all I could do," she said after he had finished eating. She dusted the breadcrumbs off of her hands and sighed. The apple core dropped onto the metal table with a heavy thud even though it was picked clean. She wanted to say more. Wanted to tell him that she would try harder, that she could offer more. Wanted to, but just couldn't, not after taking into account _who_ he was.

He nodded, which Sakura accepted as a thank you, whether he meant it as one or not. For all this work, she only needed the smallest amount of gratefulness in return. She needed some kind of acknowledgement because what she was doing went going against every ideal she had ever set before. Whenever she had thought of Sasuke's older brother before, she associated him with anger, hate, and sadness. Although those feelings hadn't been replaced, she never would have imagined that she would reach out and go the extra mile just to help him feel more comfortable in his position. She would have done anything for Sasuke and she figured that was why she was doing this. It was a morbid connection, one she could not seem to shake. The fact that it was his older brother ran through her head, but she couldn't deny the underlying thought that everything she did was for the younger.

"You're being quite the troublemaker," she said, turning to retrieve her clipboard from her bag. "Not one word, huh?"

He didn't say anything, causing a surge of disappointment to pang through her. She pretended to look over her clipboard and notes, although her mind was nowhere on the words scribbled on the papers.

"So now you're feeling shy," she mumbled, not sure if she wanted him to hear that or not. She dropped the clipboard on the table to turn and look at him. "Might as well spill everything you know." Her voice started to rise. "You're going to die anyway. Why does it matter?"

He stared at the sudden outburst and took notice of her tense figure. Although she stared straight at him, he decided not to make contact with her eyes. The fact that his brother only fueled her emotional flames kept him from doing such. He didn't necessarily feel like dealing with a moody woman and anything that could avoid this would be done.

"Might as well die with a little bit of dignity," she continued as he turned to face her fully. It seemed as though her tangent was not coming to an end anytime soon. With this thought, he decided to act upon it, not caring if the girl got out of control again.

"Dignity?" he said, his voice coming out much quieter than hers. "Dignity is what I'm aiming for, _Sakura_. Telling them all I know, I see no dignity in a foolish action such as that."

"You'll be saving Naruto's life!" she snapped back, ignoring the fact that he probably didn't care. And she supposed he didn't when he didn't say anything back. Her breathing was heavy from the anger that suddenly filled her.

"You _stupid_ Akatsuki _fucks_!" she yelled, hands clenching together tightly, almost as if she were squeezing him. Inner Sakura had finally wedged through and he noted the drastic change in her mood. "You're selfish, all of you! What are you getting at? He's my friend, he's a human being, not just some demon for you to use and throw out like yesterday's garbage." He continued to look at her, annoyance plastered on his distinct face. She still continued. "You all are monsters and I hope you burn in the deepest pits of hell!"

"Why do I sense that all this hate is directed at me? I'm not the only Akatsuki member. We all work towards this goal."

"No, but you're the only one here," she replied dryly, a large lump forming in her suddenly parched throat.

"That's not very fair, is it?"

She hated his mockery, how his little statements teased her again and again. They made her feel stupid and if that was his goal, he had succeeded. "Life's not fair."

"Hn. Very well."

"Very well? What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Life is not fair," he repeated, slowly emphasizing each syllable. He played with the word, letting it fall gracefully from his thin lips. Though he did not answer her question, his response led her further.

"But I suppose you know all about that," she continued, hands returning to her hips as they usually did when she was in. "You know what's not fair? Screwing up someone's life. Taking everything from them. Letting them think they have everything they could ever want and suddenly snatching it away."

"Oh I see," he spoke calmly. "This is about Sasuke."

She wanted to correct him. For once, it wasn't. It was about her, but she allowed him to continue thinking this.

"I'm wondering when you will finally realize he is not what you have made him to be," Itachi continued and had Sakura not been so wrapped in the argument, she would have been surprised at how much he was saying. "You condemn me so much and yet, why not him? As I have said before, we are very much alike."

"No," she insisted, knowing this word meant nothing.

"Ever since youth," he continued, a look of annoyance crossing his features. "Every since childhood, the brat held so much envy—envy that made him strive to become me."

"That was before," she interrupted with a hiss.

"And he was so blinded by this jealousy that he could not see the truth that was poking him in the forehead," he spoke, the words making their way smoothly from his lips to her ears and they tickled her the same as if his lips were pressed up against them.

"He didn't kill his family," she said, defending the younger Uchiha once more with the same argument that had been shut down before.

"And what is he trying to do now? Kill his brother—his family. He may not know it, but he is walking the same path I have already treaded."

"That's a lie," she hissed. "He wouldn't be trying to kill you if you hadn't taken everything from him! It's revenge."

"Revenge," Itachi scoffed, looking straight at the girl although she had made sure to direct her attention away from his powerful gaze. "Revenge is a sorry excuse that most use to cover the truth. He isn't looking for revenge; no one ever does. What he seeks is power."

"He will _never_ be like you," she said, voice shaking with anger and despair.

"It's too late," he replied, speaking those words slowly and calmly. "He already is."

Suddenly, she became tense once more and he noted this change again. This was when she usually spoke on urge, the words spilling from her mouth without thought. "I hope he kills you! And when he does, I hope I'm there to see it because you know what? You think you know everything and you think you're some big hot shot, but you're not. I hope when he kills you, you finally realize what it's like to have everything ripped away from you!"

His eyes flashed dangerously and Sakura quickly looked away from them. No way would she allow herself to be sucked into his fucked up little world where heavens knows what he could do to her. "I am usually a patient man, Sakura," he said, words coming out soft like velvet but incredibly dangerous like dynamite. "There are places you have never been and words you have never heard. You cannot possible understand all that works around you. And there are some lines I will not allow you to cross."

"Oh really?" she whispered, although her overconfident words were betrayed by her strained voice. "And how are you going to stop me?"

She was happy when he did not answer, because she really didn't want to know. It was then that the Second Awakening was over.

Someone should have told her this road led to a cliff. She would have looked twice before jumping.

**

* * *

**

He paced back and forth, something he had been doing since they arrived near the village. Even now, he continued to gaze down on it, biting his lip in a certain anxiousness and annoyance. His attention was so focused on Konoha that he hadn't noticed a second presence had come to join him. And her voice was so familiar, he instantly knew who it belonged to. Even though he hadn't heard her arrive, he wasn't the least bit startled, or perhaps he just hid it very well.

"What's the plan?"

What was the plan? This he did not even know. His eyes barely left the village and all thoughts were centered on it, not his brother. A spy had just informed him yesterday that he was being healed and kept alive for questioning. To be questioned by Morino Ibiki-- healing done by Haruno Sakura. He wasn't very sure if this name brought back any certain feelings. If they did, they were very subtle. In no way was he that idiot boy whose team had held him back anymore. Times had changed and so had he. He wondered if this was true for the girl.

"We'll have to act soon, before they kill him themselves."

He listened to the words that she spoke, but didn't turn to acknowledge the common sense in her simple statement. Time was running out and this was surely true. He spit to the ground, never taking his eyes off the village. The girl was finally leaving, grass rustling as she took her steps.

Yes, time was running out, and time didn't wait for anybody.

**

* * *

**

A few hours later, she was back in the cell. They had both had time to clear their cluttered thoughts and wipe away their tongues that held so many words of distaste. Her fingers played with the edges of the metal table and her eyes lingered on his cloak. The cloak that symbolized all that she ever hated. The mood in the air of this cell bounced back and forth from a pleasant aura to a tense one. Their little tussles always came quickly and suddenly, but even faster came the light talk that begged for a truce.

"Ibiki's a hard man to get past," she whispered quietly, no doubt trying to clear the tense air that filled the room. "He's really good at mind games."

"And so am I."

This she did not doubt. This she already knew.

"You have given a report," he said and she wasn't sure if that was meant to be a question or a statement.

She nodded her head and stepped towards him although a tiny bit of apprehension was slowing her steps. Once again she crouched in front of him to lift his clothing. His stitches were still intact which pleased her greatly. All in all, things were progressing greatly. She supposed he hadn't been questioned today. He seemed healthier overall.

"I didn't tell them much," she said, satisfying his curiosity. She continued to survey her stitches, running her fingers along the tender flesh. He took a sharp intake of air and she brought her hand back to her almost as if it were burned. "But I guess that's because there wasn't much to tell."

"Sure there was," he replied as he leaned back.

She didn't know quite what he meant. As far as she knew, nothing he had said had given her any sort of alarm. Well sure his words fazed her, but they were not important enough to tell the Hokage. Sure she understood that she should have told Tsunade everything, but perhaps she was selfish and wanted to keep them to herself.

"Maybe you'll regret it when I'm gone."

"Gone? As in escape?" She wanted to roll her eyes.

He certainly didn't give up. The thought that he was telling her that he was going to escape didn't really settle for she thought it to be impossible. Why would he tell her such a thing if he knew she could run off to the Hokage to mention it? Should she? But maybe that was what he wanted? But she wasn't quite sure if that even made sense.

"Then why are you still here?" she asked teasingly.

He shrugged as best he could.

"Why would you stay if you could just go?" she asked, dangling on the edge of mockery. Once again, she could not understand the strange, unique man in front of her. All her other attempts ran off track and crumpled into the pathetic endeavor that they were, for in the end, she knew she would never come to fully understand Uchiha Itachi.

"I didn't say it made sense."

She smiled because she realized he really hadn't. None of this made any sort of sense now that she looked at it. "I don't understand why you do most of the things you do," she sighed.

"Sometimes, neither do I."

"So," she started, trying to pull together all her facts so as to decipher the puzzle that he was laying before her. "You can escape, but you just don't want to? Why?"

"How else would I be able to see your _pretty_ face?"

His reply filled her with a feeling she couldn't quite describe, but she supposed it was on the borderline of exhaustion, amusement, and annoyance. She figured he was just as irritated with her asking the same questions over and over. His little jokes were beginning to be too much for her to handle. And in the end, she forgot about her confusion. She figured he knew what he was doing and the reasons would always be unknown to her.

She felt as if someone had thrown her a rope and she was climbing up the steep edge to continue on.

**

* * *

**

That night she walked along the gates of Konoha. Her hand was held out so that the wind could run freely between her fingertips. A small hum played at the bottom of her throat as she gazed at the darkness around her. Was it true? Was Sasuke really around? She stopped walking and rotated on the balls of her feet. And if he was, could he see her right now?

She cleared her throat and continued to walk. There was no way he would be this close to Konoha. It was too great of a risk of him getting caught. And for a split second, she contemplated stepping out further into the forests that surrounded the village. She wasn't really sure if she wanted him to be around. Before she would have given anything for another glimpse of him, but recently, well, recently had been very thought provoking to say the least. And this man, the villainous monster that she was assigned to heal, had her second-guessing everything she had ever come to know.

"If you're out there," she spoke aloud into the dark. There was a pause, perhaps because she didn't really know what she was trying to say. Sure she had practiced this speech over and over incase the day had come when she would be reunited with Sasuke. Yes, she had once practiced and could replay the scene in her head without any faults.

She would tell him she had been waiting and never once had doubted his actions. She would tell him that she fully supported him leaving, which was a lie that she would never come clean about. He would take her with him or perhaps come back for good. She hadn't really left either one out. They were both probable and she had spent many nights thinking of how each would unravel into the great future she was sure was laid before her. Their two paths would suddenly merge, and they'd be on their way down the road that would suddenly clear its path for their departure. And she would gladly leave her route to follow him traveling down his. But she didn't speak any of the words she had prepared. She didn't enact any of the actions she saw herself doing. She didn't follow the plan she had carefully laid. Itachi had her second-guessing. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say and had hoped something would come to mind while she stood in the middle of the murky forest.

Instead, she channeled into her heart and let her true feelings guide her. And they had proved to remain the same. "Please take me with you." For a second she though she saw him, but then guessed it was just a shadow. A shadow of a tall, lonesome tree. At the beginning he was her downfall, and in the end, he always would be.

Later that night Sakura sat on her bed, staring out the window. She watched every shadow that loomed in the street, hoping that one of them could be him. Her blanket was wrapped in her hands and she twisted it painfully in her grasp. Uchiha Itachi was nearly healed. She would probably do her last examination of him tomorrow and then it would be over, or so she liked to tell herself. The thought was sort of unsettling. She didn't really understand what she felt about never seeing the Uchiha ever again. They had grown so used to each other. It was odd to say the least and it felt incredibly wrong. For some reason, she couldn't help but feel a tad bit lonely, but she supposed if she dealt with it before, she could do it again.

Would they summon her to meet him again? Perhaps after they tortured him enough that he needed to be healed once more they would send for her. Perhaps he wouldn't even last that long. He wasn't saying anything and there was a mental barrier that cut anyone out of his thoughts. Yes, it seemed useless to keep him around, and no doubt he would be dead by the end of the week. She watched each shadow pass her window and she continued to wait. For which brother, she did not know.

She sighed when she had finally read all the signs. The many illusions of weary travel had led her to feel a false security of belonging, as if she was finally moving on. But now as she looked further, she realized she was traveling down a road. A long road to nowhere.

**

* * *

**

He stood there. For how long he did not know.

But he was rooted in one spot. Meditation was what one called it, although he seemed to tense more and not less as time ticked on. Yes, he was meditating, and this would be the last quiet moment for the next few days. He kicked the dirt, the first movement he had made in quite some time. The dust floated from the brown road and floated around his feet before settling peacefully once more.

"Sasuke."

He clenched his fists until he could feel the muscles in his lower arms tense considerably. There was no acknowledgement of the second presence that had just entered the area, although she was sure he had sensed her a mile away. She shifted in her spot, hugging herself from the wind.

"It's almost time."

He continued to look ahead, his eyes allowing him to see a little bit further into the dark than most. His dipped his head only slightly, enough for the woman to take this as a nod. The blood ran through his veins frantically, and he wanted to desperately to act on this impulse. He wanted to continue down the road, wanted to barge into that pathetic village and take all that he ever wanted. The thoughts coursed through him and his nerves were running high.

"You're tense."

Of course he was. Why she needed to point that out was beyond him. "Where are the others?" were the first words he had spoke in the couple hours that had just been spent in silence.

"Asleep. It was my turn to take watch."

"Then why aren't you?"

"I don't think I need to answer that," she responded, voice dying down considerably.

"You will do well to always answer my questions and spare me your attitude," he warned, finally cocking his head a bit to the side. She said nothing and he supposed he would have been annoyed if it weren't for his pathetic need that she was able to satisfy for the time being. "Go. I'll be there soon."

And with that, she left. He turned back and kicked the dirt around his feet once more. Before he left, he took a long, hard glance at the road that seemed to lead to nowhere. The road that led to Konoha.

-

-

* * *


	6. day six

**The Awakening**

by **stones**

* * *

**Day Six**

On the sixth day, she felt lost and lonely.

A couple years ago you could have asked how she was doing, and she would have replied by saying "I feel like I'm on top of the world." For this is how she truly felt. She was a part of the greatest team in all of Konoha, Team Seven, and if anyone were to tell her differently, she would stubbornly disagree. Although Team Seven hadn't functioned like any normal person would say a team should, they always made it through in the end. They would train with their Copy-nin of a teacher watching over them. One of her teammates would call the other an idiot and the other would shoot back by calling him bastard. They would never admit it, but they would have never asked for any other situation than the dysfunctional one that had been given to them. Maybe after training, her blonde-haired teammate would suggest that it was ramen time and they would drag the dark-haired teammate along, no matter how stubborn or cranky he seemed that day.

Whenever her cheery teammate would say that the Uchiha was always cranky, she would correct him. She would shake her head and say, "He's not always cranky. It's just rare to see him show that he is in fact happy." She would pause and smile at her blonde teammate. "And you know what?"

"What, Sakura?" he would ask, excited from the sudden secret she was about to share.

"When you do get the chance to see him actually show his happiness," she would say, pausing once more to smile wider, "it'll be so genuine that you won't mind his otherwise cranky appearance."

"I think I know what you mean," the boy would reply, scratching his lower chin in thought. "I think I've seen it before."

And then they would push aside the thought and not think about it again. For they knew that the emotions he showed were meant for only special eyes, and when he did express them, they took this as his way of showing he cared.

Yes, Sakura once thought everything was perfect.

But that—that was when she ruled the world.

**

* * *

**

Sakura walked down the street, recently leaving her apartment for yet another day. The air loomed heavily above her. Thoughts of what the day would bring flooded her mind over and over until she could not clear the jumbled mess rumbling inside. Her gut felt empty, a feeling she had come to recall from that day that felt ages ago. And it still ached just as much. It was almost as if she was moving away and it was time to say goodbye to a new friend. But this was not realistic; they were not friends. They were far from friends, and this is what she had to tell herself just to cope.

"Yo, Sakura!" She stopped in her tracks and turned to see who was coming her way. "Wait up!"

"Kiba," she greeted, smiling kindly at him. Akamaru stood close to him, loyal as always. As long as she had known this particular Inuzuka, she knew he displayed his emotions quite frequently. She had been surrounded by such a lack of emotions recently that it was new and refreshing to seem them once more. But when Inuzuka was smiling, it meant he was excited. "What are you all smiley about?"

"It's exciting," he replied, nodding. She hadn't answered him and he took her silence as confusion. "You haven't heard? It's been buzzing around all morning. Didn't the Hokage tell you?"

"I was just on my way there," she explained, feeling out of place. Something was going on and the fact that she wasn't part of it made her feel a tad bit nervous. "What's going on?"

"I suppose I shouldn't tell you," he responded, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "I mean, it's pretty close to home for you. It'd be better if the Hokage told you first."

Close to home? She tensed and clutched her hands together. Instantly a smile fled to her face. Close to home. The first thing that shot to her mind was Sasuke. Sasuke was back. Sasuke was in Konoha. Sasuke was back for her. Suddenly a familiar feeling hit her. She felt the same as she had all those years ago. Yes, she was on top of the world once again. "It's about _him _isn't it?"

"Sure thing!" Kiba answered and Sakura wanted to run over to Tsunade's office but her feet stood rooted to the ground from the sudden flood of emotions that pulled at every inch of her body. "Finally, right? After all this time."

"It's been the longest," she agreed, words coming out considerably smooth in contrast to the rigid and frantic emotions that were flowing through her. "I-I…what's going to happen then?"

"It'd be cool if it was a hanging," Kiba answered, which made Sakura freeze. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words were lost. Did he really deserve to be killed? Her Sasuke? Gone, forever?

"Couldn't they just let him off?" she asked, voice rising hysterically. Tears stung her eyes. Her emotions were clearly running high as they usually did when Sasuke filled her mind. "I mean, he's done some stupid things and betrayed the village, but they just can't!"

"What do you mean?" Kiba asked incredulously. He stepped back on instinct upon seeing the emotional woman who was growing more edgy with each word. "You can't possibly feel sorry for him? After only a couple days?"

A couple days? No, he couldn't be talking about Sasuke.

"No, no," she said, bringing her hands to her head. Her hair ruffled as she wove her fingers through it. "I'm sorry. I misunderstood."

"Yeah," he shrugged, relaxing his tense shoulders after seeing that she had calmed down. "I figured."

Her disappointment had distracted her long enough so that she wasn't piecing it all together. All that she could think of was the tease she had just recently received. Her hopes had been so high. Was she really so excited to have him back? Yes, of course she was and to have that taken from her—it was hard. But now as Kiba mumbled a goodbye, taking his cue after seeing her deep in thought, she had finally gone over his words. Uchiha Itachi. He was going to die. She wasn't sure how to take the information. Wasn't this what she had always wanted? For the damned bastard to die? To finally pay for everything he had ever done? But for some reason, it wasn't as satisfying as she had expected.

"Wait, Kiba!" she called after him and continued when she saw him turn around. He nodded to her, signalizing to go on. "When is this happening?"

"Tomorrow," he replied and she quaked at the lack of time. She nodded and he turned around once more to take his leave, hands in his pockets and Akamaru following closely by his side.

And just like that, she had fallen off her throne once more.

**

* * *

**

"I'm here," she whispered, walking into the cell that she had grown used to. She looked back at him as he stared. She was sure she was meant to stare back, it was what they did everyday. But for some reason, he was surprised to see her look away all the while biting her bottom lip. "I suppose this is going to be a goodbye sort of party. I'm almost done."

She hadn't even stopped by the Hokage's office. Perhaps she was running from the news that would be no doubt delivered again. She thought she had convinced Tsunade to keep him alive, but even this, she could understand, was childish. He was a murderer, an S-class criminal and to keep him alive because some pink-haired girl had requested it was ludicrous. It was childish, and it was plainly stupid. She held back a choke of a breath and stepped towards him. She left her things by his cloak, skimming her fingers along the clouds.

"You will miss me," he said, though it was interpreted as a question by her. She completely knew he was teasing; it was what he usually did. But then again, a part of her wanted it so badly to be serious, that she believed it was.

"No," she answered. Whether or not this was the truth, she did not know.

"Your eyes linger on my cloak," he informed and she looked to him to nod. Her shoulders lifted in a shrug and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying anything, although she wasn't sure if she really had anything to say. She crouched before him and scanned him over once. The bruising was being healed nicely and after lifting his clothing, she noticed his skin was healing satisfactorily as well. The stitches had helped and along with her chakra, his deep gash had lightened considerably.

"It is you who is being shy today," she heard him say. With a sort of surprise, she lifted her head to look up at him, and his red eyes glanced down at her with a sort of look that she could not decipher, despite her knowledge of all his glances and looks that she had learned in the past few days.

"I don't have much to say," she said, which was a lie. There were so many words that lingered on the tip of her tongue. So many words that thrashed in her head and begged for release. But her mouth remained shut and not even Inner Sakura started to blab.

"It's surprising," he said and now she wondered why he was being so talkative. She looked away from him to run her fingers along his wound. This time he did not wince, making it clear to her that it was not as irritated as before.

"What is?" she asked, voice coming out in a low hum.

"You," he answered simply and she stole a glance from her work to glance once again at him. She looked into his eyes—those penetrating red eyes that seemed to move worlds with just a single glance. She blinked, moisture forming at the corner of her eyes.

"How so, Uchiha?"

"Sakura," he said and she opened her eyes once more. He was still looking back at her and had leaned forward as far as his restraints had allowed him. His breath caressed her face teasingly and she leaned further to the sudden comfort that was begging for her welcoming. Her breaths were surprisingly even despite her current state. "I feel it in the air. Things are going to change."

A tear trickled down her cheek. She didn't know how he managed to talk about his death so easily. The idea of it had always scared her, terrified her to no end. And here he was, talking as if things were going to _change_. But no, they were going to _end._

"You know?" she asked, closing her eyes to regain her composure. A deep breath entered her lungs through her nose, and she could so clearly smell his fragrance that she was sure she could remember it for years to come. And his breaths were still coaxing her into an unknown sort of reassurance, one she was positive she had been missing.

"I suppose I always knew," he answered smoothly, voice sounding deeper than ever before. Unknowingly, she clutched the sides of his clothes and gathered the fabric in her fists. He tilted his head up, looking away from the girl in his lap.

"And you're okay with that?" she asked, beads of tears lazily making their way down her face. She raised her head to look at him straight on. "You're ready to die? Just like that?"

"It's not my time," he responded, voice sounding devastatingly vulnerable, and she dug her face into his clothing that smelt of dried blood, infection, and sweat. This was something she would have never done before. Even now, she second-guessed her actions. There was some unknown feeling that coursed through her and made her body move by itself, letting her mind rest for the time being.

"I know," she replied, voice mumbled through the clothing. She heard chains clatter and felt him shift under her. She looked up and noticed their lips were so close yet so far. She felt his breaths even stronger now, just as he was surely feeling hers. His loose strands of hair brushed over her forehead but her eyes remained fixed, ignoring the distractions that they made. This was wrong but it felt so right. His eyes seemed redder than before and yet, less dangerous. As she looked at them, she imagined that they were the onyx orbs that they had been before. She understood that this was many years ago. His eyes were dying. So was he. And although she knew he was evil, killed many innocents and could give the devil himself a run for his money, she said, "You are allowed to mourn for yourself."

He didn't answer. Didn't even blink but it was hard to tell since her gaze was locked on his lips and she wasn't planning on looking away anytime soon. A few moments passed and they seemed stuck in time, or perhaps they weren't stuck. Maybe they had chosen to stop time. Maybe this was where they wanted to be. But it wasn't and wouldn't be until he would finally push himself further and their lips would meet.

Sakura thought of Sasuke. She thought of his eyes, his hair, his arms, his lips and there she was, kissing Sasuke. This was what she had always wanted and would always come to want. Even though the past couple of days had been the biggest eye-opener that she would ever come to know, the facts remained facts. She believed that no one could get over another. It was either she loved him, or she never did. And she never doubted once that she didn't.

It wasn't until she pressed up against him more that she realized she was wrapping her arms around the older Uchiha. She wondered what he was thinking about this whole thing, but decided to push those thoughts away and for once focus on the moment that was offered. With the sudden conclusion that she would take every opportunity and not take any time for granted, she pushed herself up onto his lap, her legs straddling his waist and her arms reaching around his neck so her fingers could play with the ends of his hair. She could hear the chains move and had no doubt that he desperately wanted to reach his arms out on instinct and pull her closer and continue even more intimate ministrations. Either way, she wasn't going anywhere.

She felt his tongue against her lower lip, slowly coaxing her to deepen the kiss. Every fiber in her being was screaming yes, but her brain was still whispering no. No matter how much she tried to let go and concentrate on this special feeling, there was the still the fact of the matter that she was Haruno Sakura, a highly honored medic of Konoha, and he was Uchiha Itachi, murderer of clans and destroyer of lives. And yet she found herself in his lap, able to but not willing to pull away. A noise sounding slightly like a whimper rumbled in the bottom of her throat when he started to nibble on the tender flesh of her lower, swollen lip. He was getting restless and she was getting nervous.

So she pulled away, ending the moment that before she had deemed crazy and improbable. Instantly she regretted it and she wanted nothing more than to reach up and do it again. The moment wasn't awkward however, which she found surprising. She looked into his eyes once more and he spoke before she had the chance to.

"I will not feel sorry for myself," he mumbled as she watched those beautiful lips that had just been pressed against her own. She sighed deeply though it was more of a gasping breath, a refill of air from the breath she had been unknowingly holding. "And I most certainly will not cry." She almost wanted to laugh because this she knew. This _everyone_ knew.

"That's alright," she whispered as he leaned his head to rest on her shoulder. His tongue moved passed his lips to lick her neck, applying pressure as he ran it along her jugular and with a subconscious reaction, tilted her head away shyly although he continued to bury his face into the crook of her neck. "I'll cry for you."

Sakura used to be somewhat rational. But that-- that was when she ruled the world.

**

* * *

**

She ran.

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She yelled. She screamed. She continued to run. For what, she did not know. Her quick pace steadied into a slow jog and she glanced about the trees around her and the canopy that hung above her. The air was crisp and it gave her a new energy that made her feel alive. Everyone bone in her body ached and every muscle twitched in some sort of unknown adrenaline. It was keeping her restless.

It was close to sunset. The sky was brilliant in every shade and hue of blue, pink, orange, and red. She used to own that sunset and every good feeling that it brought. But now as she spared it only once glance, she could not help but notice that appreciation was gone, and along with it the comfort that those warm colors fooled her into believing. Grass blades swayed around her, some tickling her feet annoyingly. The wind was roaring and the trees shook and bent as it pushed against them. Yes, even the sky felt it. It was all about to change.

Her light jog slowed down even further until it was only a walk. The sharp, jagged breaths that escaped her lungs were proof of her continuous running. To the right of her was a pond and to the left, a small clearing. She walked into the clearing, noticing holes in the ground and scratches on the trees. She bent down to examine the holes and determined they were left by tent pitching. The scratches in the trees, she decided, were left from light training. It was then that she saw the fire pit that was covered with gray and black ash. It blew in the wind and dirtied her legs as it flowed around her. Someone was here. Someone was around.

She turned sharply, sliding into a fighting stance. Her nerves were on edge and every sense was channeled into. She could hear the rustling of the leaves. She could smell the rotting stink that came from the pond. She could feel the ground solid beneath her. She could taste the bitterness in the air—the bitterness that the wind carried around her. And when she turned her head to the right, she could see red eyes. She dropped her hands as her throat grew dry.

"Sasuke."

**

* * *

**

A couple years ago, you could have asked Sakura where she saw herself in the future and she would have said, "Next to Sasuke." Ino would chime in and call her stupid, saying that that would never happen for he would chose her over Sakura any day. She would tell her to get over it, that she would never be good enough for _her_ Sasuke because she was too weak. Naruto would grumble in the corner, muttering things about bastards and ungratefulness.

When she was younger, Sakura was sitting on the swing on the playground, kicking the woodchips with her toes. The wind blew her long hair, the long hair that she would later cut. The sun beat down on her weak body, the weak body that she would later train. The sight of him in front of her jumbled her thoughts, the thoughts that would soon become confused.

He stood in front of her, dark hair and dark eyes, a sharp contrast to her bright, pink hair and vibrant green eyes. She smiled welcomingly, tilting her head to the empty swing on her left, beckoning for him to sit down. He did and she found it incredibly hard not to full out stare at him, though she was determined not to ruin the moment only to make it awkward. She supposed he saw this.

"We're going to make a great team," Sakura promised, her voice light, soft, and childish. Though the words were meant to be serious, he could not take it as anything other than her secret wish. "And you know why?"

"Hn?" he asked from the side of her and she lifted her feet from the ground, allowing the wind to sway her slightly.

"Because we're all different," she answered, taking a moment to pause and look at the sky that was filled with clouds. "And we all have different strengths. When one's feeling weak, the other can be strong. We're so different and yet the same." She wasn't sure if she was talking about the team anymore.

"Don't compare me to that idiot," he grumbled next to her and she took a small second to tilt her head for a glance of his cool demeanor.

"I didn't mean to," she replied, looking to her feet. Her hair fell down across her shoulders and the ends tickled her thighs. "I was just saying that, you know, it'll work out." Unknown to her, he stared her the entire time, not wavering those dark eyes of his. "Who knows? We could all become friends." She turned to look at him and was taken aback when she found that he was looking at her. "I promise I won't be weak."

He blinked once and looked away. A blush crept unto her face and she turned her head from him too. She could hear his swing creek from the slight sway he had set. They both sat in silence. For how long, she did not know. But the clouds passed above them. The sun moved down. She heard him stand, woodchips crunching under his feet. She wasn't sure whether or not to look at him, afraid once again of making the wrong move. Curiosity got the best of her and she turned her head.

He was looking at her once again and before he turned to walk away, he opened his mouth to say, "Don't listen to anything Ino says."

That was the day she was crowned. That was the day she was sure she ruled the world.

**

* * *

**

They stared at each other because that was all that they could do.

He had grown. There was no doubt about that. Everything she had admired in the past had been tripled and once again, she could feel her legs turn to mush like they had done when she was a young girl. She had forgotten everything around her. All that she could focus on was him—him and everything he symbolized to her. He seemed unfazed, but allowed her to continue. His red eyes glanced her up and down, no doubt realizing how much she had grown and matured over the past years.

"I-uh…" She needed some words, the simplest would do. All she wanted was for that devastatingly terrifying silence to be filled. She begged her limbs to move, pleaded with her muscles to budge, but all was lost. She was rooted to the spot. The past was standing in front of her and with it came the painful memories and hopeful, lost dreams.

"Sakura," he finally said, voice coming out much heavier than she had remembered it or possibly ever imagined it. She had waited so long. So very long. And here he was, saying her name. She wanted to crumble at the thought. He was a few feet away, but even that was far for her. Her silent complaint was heard, and he stepped forward, close enough for her to reach out to him. But she didn't. She couldn't. Her body still wasn't listening to her mind.

"Sasuke," she repeated through her cracked lips, though his name came out strained. She choked back a sob. This was everything she had ever wanted. This was the moment she had planned over and over. This was the time for her to say all she ever wanted, but none of it came out. She repeated his name and finally she was able to make some movement. She pushed herself forward, hands reaching out to touch his arm. It was a second long contact, but it felt like forever. And the feelings she felt were so electrifying, she found herself lost as her eyes started to blur with unwelcome tears.

He pulled away immediately and brought his arm up to push her away. She stumbled back a little, struggling to keep her balance. This little action had suddenly awoken her and brought her back to reality. He did not reach back. He did not hold her. He did not kiss her. He pushed her away. Once again.

"What do you want?" she asked, voice coming out surprisingly hard for the lack of strength that she was feeling. She gathered her arms back to her after realizing they were still held out, waiting for him to whisk her away.

"Don't be annoying," he answered, straightening himself out. This made him taller and overall more intimidating to Sakura. "My brother. Tell me everything you know."

It was crazy to her. Her heart was beating inside of her, telling her to beg him to come back to Konoha, which was what she had always planned to do, but he was in front of her and only after a few words shared, he had started demanding her to spill everything she knew. It angered her, but she could not bring it to herself to direct it at the man in front of her.

"He's in Konoha's cells," she answered swiftly and she saw his lips lower at her words. She was making him irate and she wasn't sure if she was feeling satisfaction or distress at this thought.

"No shit," he replied and stepped closer to her. And what she was waiting for happened. He reached out for her, but not in the way she had expected. His arms came down on her shoulders heavy, nails digging into her body painfully. She could feel the extent of his tension and felt it channel into herself. "Tell me something _useful._"

"I can't," she answered, partly out of her duty to Konoha and partly out of her newfound loyalty to his brother, but this was not a sure thought. She had seen the younger in the older, had done everything for the younger, and continued to blur the lines between to the two so much that it was difficult to determine which was which. She could not find her loyalty because in the end, she wasn't sure with whom it laid.

"Are you trying to protect him?" he asked, leaning closer and she could feel his warm breath escape from clenched teeth to hit her face.

He shook her once and her head, feeling heavy, rolled from the sudden quake. Her breaths were shallow, a mixture of fear and excitement. He was so close. All she wanted to do was fall into him and hold him tightly. But she continued to remain silent and put her head down in a way of defiance.

"That's really sweet." He paused, tilting his head. "Is he the one who gave you that hickey?" His words were calm and smooth, though she knew he was angry by the way his hold on her tightened. "All these years pass by and you've become nothing but a traitorous bitch who cannot keep her hormones in check?"

She grit her teeth at his mockery and closed her eyes shut, though his strong grip and tantalizing breath wouldn't let her forget where she was. "No, it's not like that."

"But you know," he started above her. She felt his rough fingers beneath her chin and her head was forced up. She squinted an eye opened and decided she had never found a pair of eyes so frightening. "You were my little medic before his."

"Don't do that," she hissed, jaw clenching tightly.

He continued to gaze down at her, observing what the girl had grown to. Her hands came up to his chest and instead of running her hands down it like she had always imagined, she tried to push away. Her mind was still unfocused and her body still in shock. She could not channel into her strength, though her shove did come out forceful enough to make him step back although he did not release his hold on her.

"Do what?"

Her tears had cleared from her eyes, and she could see clearly once more, although after looking into his eyes, she wished she couldn't. There was no doubt that he made her into that foolish girl she had been so many years ago, and she was crumbling under his gaze. So she tore her attention away from him and looked at his shoulder.

"Do not act like you have some claim over me," she said, though the words came out slow and stressed. Her hands came back up to clutch at his clothes and she pulled at them. "You were the one who left, Sasuke. Do not come back and act like everything is the same as it used to be."

"Oh? Because it isn't?" he asked, closing the small gap in between them even further. She could feel his muscles contract as they molded themselves around her body and clung onto her tight. "Do you not melt when I merely look at you? Do you not crumble when I hold you? How about when I do this?"

She bit her bottom lip as he dipped his head and leaned it against her neck on the same spot that his older brother had. She could feel him kiss and suck the tender flesh of her shoulder after he pulled away the clothing with his teeth. Her knees gave way and she fell limp against him, but he supported her as he pushed her back against what she felt was the rough bark of a tree.

"Isn't this what you've always wanted?" he asked, letting one of his arms unwind from around her to place at her waist. Slowly, he lowered it, letting it fall on her hip. His fingers played with the edges of the waistband of her pants and she took a sharp intake of breath from this.

"Sakura," he breathed into her ear, placing a kiss at the top. "I can give this to you, if you give me what I want."

Those words sounded so sweet to her and she wanted to give into them so badly. Wasn't this what she had always wanted? She was in Sasuke's arms and he was touching her intimately as she always wished he would. "I…"

He lowered his hand as he continued to kiss and nip at her neck. His fingers grazed over her thigh and she moaned into his ear. "Hell, I'll even bring you along with me."

"What I want is for you to come back to Konoha," she spoke, fighting all the groans that pushed against her lips. He did not stop his actions nor did he speak, but he did quite the opposite. His hand came to rest in between her thighs, his fingers rubbing a spot so sweet, her whole body shook. A light mewl came from her, a mix of a sigh and a breath of his name. How she wished she could just fall into his touch and receive everything she had ever hoped for. But Sakura was not weak, and she dug deep to retrieve some of her strength and she had gathered enough to keep talking. "Naruto has never given hope. Even Kakashi wants you back. All your old friends…"

"I have cut those ties years ago," he hissed, gripping her thigh harshly, making her cry out in protest. "I do not regret it and I'll be damned if I ever go back to that pathetic village to stay."

"You have to!" she insisted, once again trying to push from him. She could feel her focus starting to sharpen and her strength was beginning to course through her.

He sighed as she began small struggles. "I am not afraid to use my Sharingan on you."

She closed her eyes and focused on all her energy. She could feel it at her very core and directed it all to her hands, which she felt began to tingle. Once again, she raised them to his chest and with her super strength, pushed against him. She could feel the absence of his body around hers and a loud crash informed her that she had been successful. She squinted an eye open, making sure not to make any sort of contact with his. She was satisfied when she saw him approximately ten feet away, a tree bent from the collision he had made with it. Though what did surprise her was that he did not look angry, but instead, a smirk adorned his face—one that reminded her of his brother. She opened her eyes completely but had then focused at his feet.

"Well, well," he mused, regaining his composure. "That's surprising."

"I'm not weak anymore, Sasuke," she called out, hands clenching into balled fists at her sides.

"I can see that," he replied and she saw his feet step forward. Immediately she switched to a fighting stance, though it would be a disadvantage not being able to look wherever she wanted. "I tried playing the nice card, Sakura, and I will offer you one last chance."

"Fuck you."

She could hear him huff a laugh. The second she saw his feet leave the ground, she leapt away. Her fighting was relying heavily upon her hearing, which gave her an extreme disadvantage—she knew she could not be the victor no matter how much she believed in herself. It was time to think realistically and plan this out. If she could not beat him, she would have to leave. She would not call it running. No, she would call it saving her own skin.

A strong wind blew past and instantly she cursed. It caused enough distraction in her hearing and she felt a sudden pressure on her back. She landed forward, hands shooting out to stop her from landing head first into the ground. The wind blew her hair in front of her and when it ceased, she could hear him land softly behind her. Instinctively, she began to scurry away on her hands and knees.

"Sakura," he said as she continued to crawl away in a frantic struggle. She glanced around frantically, looking for some kind of thing that she could use to her advantage. "Maybe you really haven't changed all that much. Can't even face your opponent? That's some kind of strength you've got there. If you want to come with me, you've got to toughen up."

She brought herself to her feet in a stumble and she closed her eyes, frightened that he would catch her when she would give into the temptation to open her eyes and look at him fully.

"Sad really," he continued to muse, voice growing heavier—a clear sign that he was about to move again. "It seems I won't even get to use my chidori. Pathetic."

He leapt again and she flung herself away, landing a few feet away. He was quick. Really quick. Almost instantly she could feel his presence behind her and was not fast enough to move out of the way. He sent another punch coming her way, although this time she turned and he barely nicked her. She sent her arm out with extra strength and her palm connected with his chin. She could hear bones crack along with a grunt from him. Instantly, she felt the mood change. Before he was just playing with her and now she had gotten him mad.

She had only a few seconds to evaluate what was happening. His hands tightened around her wrists and he flung her away. She flew in the air amazingly fast and was dreading the hard collision with the ground. But instead of hitting the dirt like she had expected, she crashed into something and instantly felt cold. Water crashed upon her from all directions, and it was then that she realized she had landed in the pond. Instantly she could feel another person land beside her, and she thrashed wildly, now relying upon panic opposed to skill.

Déjà vu had hit her like a ton of bricks. Her dream was now reality and the events played out exactly as she had remembered. She was suffocating, drowning in her self-doubt. She opened her eyes and saw red. There was red all around. She wasn't sure if he had sucked her in although she doubted it. She was sure it would have been ten times worse if he had. Her feet kicked out, desperate to find the bottom of the shallow pond. Her sole connected with soft mud and she planted her feet firmly on it. Seaweed spun around her, tangling her and restricting her from making many movements. Something else was stopping her though, and it was a hand that was now clasped around her neck.

It kept her under and she was starting to see spots. They appeared everywhere and her vision was dying, her head pounding as if it weighed a hundred pounds. When she was sure that it was done, that she would die by the hands of Sasuke, she was met with a slap of fresh air and she gasped wildly for oxygen. He seemed to allow her to catch her breath seeing as his hand loosened around her neck. She coughed and gagged, water dripping from her hair and down her face.

Her eyes stung from the dirty water than invaded them, but now she kept them fully open. And once she had composed herself the best that she could, she glanced about her. He was standing in the water that reached to his waist. His grip was still around her neck and her hands flung to it, desperate to make it leave. He looked at her as if he was contemplating something, something that she could not figure out. She took no heed to it and instead spent her time and energy trying to struggle out of his death grip.

"Start talking, Sakura," he demanded, his words heavy with warning. She choked on the last bit of water and spit, ignoring the slimy feeling of saliva and vomit as it oozed down her cheek.

"It doesn't matter anyway," she began, the sound of the words coming out tense due to the lack of air coming from her lungs. "You lost, Sasuke! They're killing him tomorrow. Game over."

Sasuke released his hold and she fell back into the water. Once she managed to bring herself up, she saw him standing a little bit a ways back on shore, his back to her. She was silent although her neck and throat throbbed painfully from the bruising she was sure would come. Seaweed hung from her arms, gunk stuck to her les. She could see that the bottom half of his body was drenched along with the tips of his sleeves. There was no doubt in her mind that they both stunk like old murky water and ancient conflicts. Once again, like that day so many years ago, she was second-guessing every action she had considered doing. She didn't want to ruin the moment—the moment she wasn't sure was even there. She wasn't sure if she even felt the same way about him.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked, saying the words she had so cautiously chosen.

"I will never return to Konoha," he told her again, not turning to face her. She supposed that it was because he couldn't. There was not enough strength in him to face his past. She nodded although she realized he could not see. She seemed unfazed and no one would be able to tell that inside she was breaking. His words shattered every dream she had every built. The thought struck down any hope that lived inside her. They both entered their own thoughts, and silence filled the area once more into a peaceful lull that she found deceiving. They both thought about the older Uchiha. They both cursed him for living. They both cursed him for dying.

Sasuke was the first to say anything. "He won't die-"

"-he can't," she quickly said, cutting him off. And though both would never admit it, they hoped that somehow Uchiha Itachi's life would not end tomorrow.

"Sakura," Sasuke said and she turned his attention immediately to him. They stared at each other for a few minutes, recalling every moment that had just passed by. He nodded and smirked, then turned away. Sakura stood there, soaked to the very core. Although she was shaking, she felt very warm. And just like that, she had fallen for him again although frustration awoke inside her.

When she ruled the world, Sakura was very quick to be angry. It seemed she still was.

**

* * *

**

That night Sakura did not sleep.

She did not move. She did not think. Her skin was raw from the scrubbing she had done in the shower. She lay in bed, staring at that one spot in the ceiling that never seemed to change. She had healed herself right when she had entered her apartment, tears spilling every second of the way. It made her nervous when she thought about the real extent of Sasuke's power and was happy that she did not experience it first hand.

The whole night seemed surreal and now as she thought back on it, she wondered it if had even happened. She had planned that moment over and over, but it seemed that things don't always go the way one plans. Even now as she thought back to her encounter with Sasuke, she couldn't help but feel she wanted to go back. She wanted to go back and plead with him. She so desperately wanted to relive the moment only for her to beg him to come back.

The whole village seemed a lot lonelier that night and she was sure it would feel even emptier tomorrow night.

Sakura used to be happy. But that--that was when she ruled the world.

-

-

* * *


	7. day seven

**The Awakening**

by **stones**

* * *

**Day Seven**

On the seventh and final day, she felt sad. It was as plain as that.

The morning came as it always did, unwelcome and irritating. Instead of feeling the usual annoyance that it tended to make her feel, a gloomy, apprehension took its place and gave her a sort of anxiousness that she had never felt before. There were a lot of new feelings that had come to her through these past days. This was her least favorite out of all of them. She stumbled into her kitchen, eyes red and puffy from the tears she had unknowingly shed in her sleep. Ruffled hair and baggy clothes gave away her exhaustion and she fell onto her couch, wishing she could just succumb to sleep once more.

But, in the end, she couldn't. No matter how hard she would try, this feeling would not shake. This feeling would not allow any peace. This feeling, she was sure, would be the death of her. There were a couple hours until his death. Would that be the last she would ever see Uchiha Itachi? Would that be the last she would ever glance at his red eyes? Would that be the last she would feel that ultimate connection which had recently and unknowingly tied him to her? She peeled herself off the old couch, which scattered a few dust mites. The air in her apartment was stuffy. Once again, she was feeling a suffocatiing block to her airways. She wedged open her fridge, having to push extra just to have it budge from the recent lack of use. Inside, she gathered some eggs and bread. For once, she decided, she would have breakfast.

A few minutes later, the pan was sizzling on the stove, oil spattering out frantically—some landing on her forearm only to leave a tiny sting. She cracked an egg over it and watched as it spread itself in the pan. The toast sprung from the toaster and she gathered it all on one plate. Coffee gurgled inside the maker and filled the room with an intoxicating scent. Soon enough, her meal was finished, but it had all gone to waste. She couldn't look at the food without getting sick, nausea was bubbling deep inside her. That morning she left her apartment with her bag dangling on her shoulder, the warm but suffocating smell of breakfast along with the dark coffee that sat lonely next to it waiting patiently.

She had walked down the hall of the complex and was not the least bit surprised to find Naruto on his way up. He paused when he saw her and she did the same. They looked for a moment then he lifted his hand, a shy way of saying hello. She smiled and nodded, although he could tell the smile had been made.

"Sakura," he answered. He could see that his friend was clearly distraught. Her glazed eyes told him that her mind was elsewhere. The tired lines under her face told him that she had little to no sleep last night. But as much as his friend was feeling unwell, he could not and would not hide his excitement. "The hanging. Today."

So it was a hanging. No doubt to display his shame in front of the whole village. She nodded once more, emotions drained from her face.

"Listen," he started, turning as she walked passed him to go down the stairs. He followed, arms moving as he continued to talk. "Something's happened and I know it. Sakura, you can make it through anything! I have no doubt about that! And it'll be easier because, you know, I'm here for you."

When they reached the bottom of the staircase that led to the streets of Konoha, she looked back and smiled genuinely though it was soon lost. Should she tell Naruto about her encounter with Sasuke yesterday? Should she keep it from him? It only seemed fair to inform him. They were once close friends and that caring that Naruto held for the younger Uchiha had never faded. As much as she wanted to tell him, she just couldn't. Perhaps she was selfish. Perhaps she was looking out for her friend. Or perhaps it was because it just didn't matter anymore.

"Thank you, Naruto," she replied, taking one of his hands into her own. His hands were rough, which wasn't a surprise seeing as he lived his life as a ninja. Hers weren't very supple either and felt dry and calloused as she placed them in his own. Her blonde-haired friend smiled back, a small blush creeping onto his face. She wasn't exactly sure what she meant by these words, but spoke them nonetheless. She supposed she was thanking him for everything he had ever done; the greatest of all, being her friend.

"Are you coming to it?" he asked, words sped up from the excitement that they held. He needn't have said what it was. It was obvious what he meant and would be if said to anyone else. The hanging was all that was buzzing around town. Everyone knew about it. And the fact that they were making this some sort of show sickened her further and once again her stomach began to turn.

"I don't know," she answered. No matter how much she wanted to see him one last time, she wasn't sure if she could handle that it _would_ be the last time. "I suppose you are."

"Hell yeah," Naruto answered quickly, putting Sakura's nerves on edge. "I can't believe it. It's going to be over. Sasuke will be back in no time!

But this wasn't true. Sasuke had clearly said to her that it would never happen. It would never happen in reality or in her little, foolish dreams.

"Time for that monster to say his prayers. Hey Sakura, are those brui-"

She ran, tears blinding her eyes as she made her way. Inside her head, she began to pray for she knew that he wouldn't.

**

* * *

**

"So I guess he's really gonna be gone, un?"

"It is almost surreal, Deidara-sempai."

"Hm, I guess his arrogance exceeded him." A pause. "Where's Kisame?"

"Not around."

"Guess he couldn't take it, yeah? He's probably crying up a storm."

"I don't think Kisame cries."

"Yeah? So what? We never thought Itachi would die either, un."

**

* * *

**

Her legs pumped harder against the ground, dirt flailing up as she continued her sprint. She rounded every corner hastily, almost tripping over her own feet a couple times. The building was huge as she neared it, even bigger than the first day she had arrived there. And as she stood in front of the door, it seemed gigantic and held so much warning and apprehension that it tickled the ends of her fingers, making them twitch nervously. It was no surprise to see not only two guards, but four. All eyed her curiously, wondering how she had managed to get through the other checkpoints to his cell.

"I need to go in," she insisted, voice cracking under the pressure. One of the guards had the nerve to laugh right in her face. He might as well have spit in it. She clenched her fingers, hands turning into tiny balls. "Please, let me through."

"State your purpose," one of them closest to the door answered. She remembered him. He was the one who was usually around to patrol the cell area. Yes, she had spoken to him a few times; one of the most memorable being when she brought the tea. She looked to him and he stiffened. Without a doubt, she was sure that this man had seen the evolution of the person Sakura was to the person she had become. She was certain he understood there was more that lay behind the façade. He just had too, but then again she remembered that those moments she had spent with the older Uchiha were hers alone and no one would ever come to know what had happened these last few days for she hardly understood it herself.

"Last checkup," she mumbled, lifting her bag to emphasis that she had brought her medical supplies. "And a light sedative. Unless you want to bring him out there as is."

"Very well," another answered quickly, making his way to undo all of the locks. They clicked heavily and Sakura's eardrums thumped at the noise. All of her senses were heightened; everyone moment deemed bigger than ever before.

When the door had opened and she saw him lift his head, she was surprised she didn't cry. Her knees felt weak. Her brain felt light. Her eyes felt heavy. She stepped inside and the door closed behind her. Quickly, she threw her back alongside his cloak and ran to him although when she reached him, she just stood before him.

"Good morning, Sakura," he said politely as she bit her bottom lip. He was acting so unfazed as if nothing was going to happen, but she knew that it would. She opened her mouth; however, nothing but an incoherent jumble replaced the words she was meaning to say. He sighed when she didn't respond; obviously this was going to be a trying morning. "I hope you enjoy the show."

It was then that she broke down and the tears started to fall. She fell beside him with a heap, arms and head resting on his lap. Why she had grown to cry in front of this man was so surreal to her. Everything that had happened recently was something she had never even thought about before. In the beginning, she wanted nothing but for him to rot in hell. But now, as she cried before him, nothing made sense: her feelings, her emotions, her dreams, her hopes. Nothing was familiar. Everything had changed.

"There are bruises adorning your neck," he observed and she struggled to hear him over her sobs. She brushed away his statement. Her bruised neck was the least of her worries now. "He hurt you."

"So have you," she answered, bringing her hands to clutch at his pant leg.

"Well, cheer up then," he replied, a small smirk on the outside corner of his lips. "I suppose I'll pay for all my actions soon."

She pulled away from him, determined not to hear any sort of speak like that anymore. Her eyes shut closed and she shook her head, partly saying no to his statement and partly to unmixed her jumbled mind. This man would leave so much behind. His name would forever be on the tongues of everyone, she was so sure of it. What did he own? To her at this very moment, she supposed the world and that it was being ripped from him cut through her. He must have had something material in his possession. Would they try to rid every trace of him? "Your things," she sniffed. "What will they do with them?"

"Burn them I suppose," he mumbled, not taking his eyes off the pink-haired girl. "They've already confiscated everything save for the cloak."

At the mention of it, she turned her head. His dark cloak, laced with dark red clouds, lay on the table, the edges hanging off lazily. She could hear him move behind her, body no doubt numb from the lack of movement given to him. The chains rattled heavily.

"Sakura," he said, forcing her to pry her eyes from the cloak. She brought her hand up to wipe her tears with the back of her hand and turned her head, looking at him once more. She waited in anticipation for his words. He had something to say to her and she was a willing audience to listen. Had this happen a couple days ago, she would have shrunk under his gaze. But now she so desperately wanted to hear his words and hang on to them for dear life. "I want you to take it."

"What?" she asked immediately.

"My cloak," he explained, jaw clenching. His annoyance from her unnecessary question tickled through him. "Take it."

"Won't they know-"

"I'm sure it's the least of their worries," he answered, cutting her off in a way she would have found rude before. She nodded quickly, standing up to retrieve it right away. The fabric felt silky in her fingers and she let it slide through them to land on the table once more. She could feel his anxious gaze on her back, but she continued to take her time. She brought her hand up and started to trace a red cloud with a delicate finger. The dark part of the cloak glistened in a way she almost found metallic. As she picked it up once more, a half-torn section finally fell off and landed on the floor. She bent to pick it up, not willing to loose any part of the cloak. Or him. She took the small piece of fabric in her hand and rubbed her fingers over the material, which would later become a habit of hers. She stuffed the cloak into her bag, ignoring all the clangs and clinks that the contents made.

"I don't know what to say," she spoke after a few minutes of silence. She turned to find he had looked away, but as she stared to speak, turned his attention back to her. She walked towards him and took a seat by him on the floor, fingers playing with her boots like a shy child. ",or do for that matter."

"There's nothing you can say," he replied then smirked. ",or do."

"Do you believe in the after life?" she asked, tilting her head as she spoke. Her eyebrows furrowed together and she sniffed, a migraine pounding at her eyebrows.

"No," he answered and she shrunk at this. "But I do believe in this one."

"Once again," she said with a laugh then paused to shake her head. "Once again you confuse me."

"As do you."

"Then explain yourself," she suggested. "And I'll do the same."

"Maybe some things are better left vague," he responded, a way of rejecting her proposition or perhaps accepting it yet giving her more. "They make for broader interpretations."

"So you're saying that you want me to decide what you mean?" she asked, rotating on her knees to give them a slight stretch. An odd feeling prickled at her toes. "That's sort of dangerous, isn't it?"

"It makes it all the more appealing."

She didn't doubt that.

"I can't bring myself to say goodbye," she said, words starting strong but ending in a mess. Tears stung her eyes once more as she closed her eyes shut. She felt an invisible sort of hand that gripped her cheeks and forced her eyes open. With a turn of her head, she looked at him.

"Then don't," he answered simply. And they sat in silence.

An hour later, they beckoned for her to leave. She walked through that cell door for the last time and begged herself not to turn around. And although she didn't turn to face him, his voice still reached her ears.

"I'm not ready."

She cried all the way home.

When she entered her apartment, the food still sat alone on the counter. The coffee, she predicted, was bitterly cold. Quickly she made her way into her room and took the cloak from her bag. She contemplated wrapping it around herself, but found this ludicrous. This cloak had always represented everything she had ever hated and she was sure that it still did. Instead, she placed it neatly onto a chair sitting in the corner of her room facing her bed. She looked over it once before leaving the room.

**

* * *

**

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura whispered, greeting her old teacher from so many years ago, from when they were all a family. She entered the clearing in the town; a sort of stage-like structure built in the middle. She could see the noose hanging and swinging. The image brought her the chills. The sky was a dark gray; the clouds she had seen yesterday at night were still hanging about. She wrapped her sweater tighter around herself and went to stand next to the Copy-nin.

"Sakura," he nodded as she neared. His head was propped up in his hand, his elbow resting in his other palm. His head was titled up, his chin pointed high, almost as if he was thinking. "Time to make history." She started to regulate her breathing, counting as she went along.

_1…_

She looked away from her former teacher and back at the noose. A deep breath entered her lungs through her mouth and as she exhaled, a small fog of moisture formed. She heard another presence approach, rocks crunching as they made their way. With a slight turn of the head, she caught his blonde hair, face looking solemn.

_2…_

Everyone started to gather slowly until there was a huge group, all bumping into each other, hoping to get a better view. Sakura didn't mind that she wasn't near the front. In fact, she would have found it rather morbid had she wanted to be. The chatter that surrounded them was loud, and she could hear the faint sound of an infant crying in the distance. Goosebumps crawled up her arms and legs and she wrapped her arms around herself.

_3…_

Suddenly, everyone had grown quiet and there he was. She couldn't necessarily see him, the crowd and number of guards it had taken to bring him out had blocked her view of him. But she needn't have seen him. She knew exactly what he looked like. She could see his red eyes, closed as he walked along. She could see his arms tense as the guards prodded him further. She could see his long hair fall over his shoulders as he bent his head. And although she knew he wasn't saying anything, she could hear his voice.

_1…_

They had reached the podium and with each step they took up the stairs, she rose higher on her toes. She could feel Naruto doing the same beside her. In fact, she knew everyone was doing that. Everyone was waiting for their last glimpse of Uchiha Itachi: murderer, villain, and monster. They tied the noose around his neck, tightening it until she was sure his skin turned raw under the pressure. There was no way for him to successfully move out of this hold. His head was still bent down, and it was then that she realized they had placed a blindfold over his eyes. Inside, her nerves were jumping alive and begging her body to move. To do something.

_2…_

The guards left him standing alone, which everyone gave a gasp at. His arms were secured behind his back and eyes were hid from the world. They must have been confident that he was surely a goner and she was supposed they were right when the executioner, all dressed in black, took a stand next to the Uchiha. Itachi shifted to the right, no doubt sensing that someone was standing beside him. The fact that he couldn't see pained Sakura and she had no doubts that inside, he was struggling not to lash out for being in such a vulnerable state.

_3.._

And she was right. Uchiha Itachi started to thrash back and forth. She remembered his last words and crumbled. _I'm not ready. _Gasps were heard across the audience and the guards rushed up to subdue him. A couple were thrown from the podium through the struggle, but one had managed to take a chakra draining seal and run it over him. They had drained enough energy from him and he stood in place. When they were sure he would cooperate, they left him to stand once again. Sakura's breaths came faster.

_1…_

The executioner tightened his gloves over his hands.

_2…_

He lifted his arm and placed his hand on the wooden lever.

_3…_

Then he pulled.

Sakura turned tail and ran.

**

* * *

**

Her legs ached and every muscle told her to cease this useless sprint. The lungs encased in her ribcage pulsed, pounding against her. Sweat lined her brow and she brought a dirty hand to wipe it away. Trees and other sorts of brush lined her surroundings. The sun was low in the sky, but it was hard to tell because of all the murky, gray clouds that filled it. She finally slowed and stopped in her tracks, bending down to rest her hands on her knees. Her throat was dry and scorched with every breath that she took. She crumbled and fell next to a tree trunk on her hands and knees, emptying her stomach violently. As she began to gather herself and look around, she could have sworn she was going crazy.

Or perhaps it was because she already was. At first she just saw a blue man though he was hard to make through the trees. He came as fast as he went. Next she turned and could have sworn she saw Sasuke standing a little bit a ways. She had always imagined him, yes, but it had never gone so far as a hallucination. He was smirking at her, and she wanted desperately to reach out to him though found herself unable to do anything but stare. He nodded at her and through burning eyes, could see him started to walk away. She opened her mouth but nothing came and she watched hopelessly as he left again.

Next came Naruto. He came from a distance. As he came closer and closer, Sakura couldn't believe how real he looked. Some strands of blonde hair stuck to his forehead, glued to it with sweat. His hands were dirty and as he slowed down the stop, ran them through his hair, causing some strands to turn brown from the dirt. She continued to stare, wondering when the next illusion would come for that was all that she could call them. Everything around her was an illusion. Her dreams, her friends, and most importantly life itself. Yes, everything was an illusion. It was _his_ world.

She had continued to believe Naruto was a mirage until he reached out to her and his clammy hand took her own. She snapped back into reality and suddenly felt the wind that had been brushing past her for the last minute. His words slowly entered her ears, starting out quiet than becoming louder and louder. He was yelling and pulling her away.

"What are you; fucking crazy?" he yelled, tugging her along as he turned to retreat back the way he came. She fell forward and his grip on her wrist grew tighter. She had no reason but to oblige and she began to run behind him. "I've been looking everywhere," he called back behind his shoulder. "What? Do you _want_ to get killed?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, wrenching her hand away from his hold. He stopped on a spot on a tree branch and she landed right next to him. He turned to look at her incredulously, taking her hands once more.

"He's gone, Sakura," he hissed, clearly angry with this.

"G-gone?" she asked, eyes widening. Her cracked lips moved slowly, words coming out dumb. A hopeful feeling lifted her though she had to make sure. "As in dead?"

"No," he answered, shaking his head. "He escaped." His words were angry and spoken through clenched teeth. He never stopped shaking his head, obviously not believing that it had happened. "Gone in a poof a smoke. A _fucking_ clone. There's ANBU everywhere, looking for him."

"A clone?" she asked and he nodded back. The biggest weight had finally been lifted. "Wouldn't they know from the start if they were dealing with a clone?"

"That's just the thing," he replied, looking away, shaking his head once more. "He _wasn't_ a clone. But somehow, he had managed to replace himself with one."

"It's impossible," she insisted and he looked back at her though he stopped shaking his head.

"Obviously not," he responded, tugging her along once more. They continued to jump through the trees, branches whipping across her legs as she made her way. A puff of smoke? He was right. It wasn't his time. He wasn't ready. And if she ever saw him again, well, she wasn't quite sure what she would do. They made their way from the trees, Sakura trailing back behind Naruto. He kept turning his head to still see if she was following, but he was in such a hurry to get back to the village, he had missed the tiny smile forming on the edge of her lips.

As they neared the village gates, they slowed down. Naruto landed in front of them and a second later, Sakura placed herself next to him. He looked at her, smiling a little to add reassurance to the situation though she would never tell him she was in more distress when she believed Uchiha Itachi to be dead.

"Tsunade wants to question you," Naruto informed. "When you were no where to be found, she sent me out to get you." He shook his head, smile turning wider. "I just got worried is all. Sorry for freaking out. It's just that I couldn't live without myself if I lost you too."

Sakura looked to him and nodded, thankful that she was blessed with such a wonderful friend. Though no words were exchanged, their relationship had just strengthened more than she ever though possible. She watched as he scratched the back of his head contemplatively.

"Don't worry though," he said, winking at her. "That crazy old man Ibiki won't be brought into this. Tsunade trusts you. We all know you'll tell everything you know."

Perhaps they should have put Morino Ibiki on the job because she didn't.

**

* * *

**

When Sakura had finally entered her apartment after a day she would never forget, she flipped on the lights. They flickered twice before holding and she glanced around the small living space that she called her own. Everything had seemed in place. Everything had been as she had left it except for one thing.

The food had been eaten and the coffee mug was empty. As she neared her counter, she lifted the fork laid aside and picked at it. It had obviously been eaten in a hurry; there were still scraps left and some crumbs lied beside the plate. There was still some coffee left and she brought the mug to her lips. They felt hot as they connected with the ceramic texture and she downed the cold coffee though it brought nothing but a warm feeling.

That night Sakura laid in bed, staring at the place the cloak had once been. She knew the unexpected visitor had taken it, but left her her own piece. And now she held that ripped piece from his cloak and rubbed it in between her fingers—nails grazing the part of the red cloud still visible. He had left her a piece of himself, although he needn't have let anything materialistic for the odd feeling in her gut that she received whenever she thought of him would serve as a good reminder of who he was and what he had shown her.

She wasn't feeling love. No, it was not the same emotion that hit her whenever Sasuke came to mind. She wasn't sure what she was feeling, but she wouldn't dare replace it. The emotions hit her like a ton of bricks, and she welcomed them with open arms—doing everything from crying to laughing.

The first night she had felt nothing, but this night she had felt it all. She wasn't surprised, though it happened so fast, that she found herself once again willing to fall.

**End**

-

-

* * *

A/N: Hm, seems to me that Sakura actually saw Itachi at the end, but once again confused him with Sasuke. But hey, that's just me.

There is a sequel, _The Calling_, for anyone interested. Thanks to all who stuck with this story and even more thanks for those who reviewed.


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